Goku the Gamer
by Astroman1000
Summary: Many people wish their life were an RPG. And now Goku has that opportunity, too bad he doesn't even know what a video game is! Luckily with Bulma by his side our favorite Saiyan will go far! (Massive Game System change hence the separate story)
1. First Contact

**AN: Am I just a bad person?**

**I'm calling this a rewrite because I'm radically changing the game system (more info on that at the bottom) from what it was before and that will have an effect on the story and what I've written, even if it wasn't that much.**

**This story is only tentatively separate. I hope people who have read the previous version are reading this, but if you're new that's awesome. When this rewrite has the same number of chapters as the previous version I'll ask whether to replace the original with this and just have one story called Goku the Gamer out there or to leave the original version as is.**

**If this first chapter does not have enough of a difference for you, hold out! I don't know what's going to change either, but if this rewrite changes almost nothing, I'll just replace the original version.**

**Oh, and this is a little thing, but I noticed some people in the previous story had not read Dragon Ball proper. Do yourself a favor and do it for two reasons. One, it's damn good, funny too. Two, I write and read fanfiction expecting readers to be familiar with the original story. I might gloss over some things or bring up something specifically because I expect people to know what it is that I'm changing. What's coming up in a couple chapters is a great example of that.**

**Thank you for waiting… nearly two years for this story to get some love, I'm not that sorry since I was working on other stuff, but I'm here now and I plan on writing a lot. And remember, none of my stories are ever abandoned.**

~GG~

Chapter One: First Contact

A groggy Goku woke up to a high-pitched "ping!" he opened his eyes and saw a blue screen floating about an arm-length away from his head. The screen said (Let's assume Goku has basic reading skills)

**You have slept comfortably on the floor. Your HP has been restored by 75%.**

Confused by the prompt, but not really caring about what it could mean, Goku turned to look at Bulma only to see that her "pillow" was in full view.

"Whoa! Well, her pillow's not as big as Grandpa's… but I can sure give it a try."

Goku proceeded to get onto Bulma's bed and lay his head on her exposed crotch. Confused at the lack of… cushioning Goku closely investigated the girl's no-no parts. Unable to see anything he took off her panties only to receive the shock of his life!

A guttural scream ripped itself from his throat, "EEEEEEYAAAAA!"

Tired, confused, and a bit scared Bulma awoke. "What!? What!? What happened!? Whatsa matter!?"

A horrified and slightly cowering Goku barely stammered out, "Y-y-y-you've l-l-lost your ba-ba-ba-ba-"

Scared, but now for her Dragon Balls, Bulma leapt out of her bed.

"I've lost my Dragon Balls?"

She then rifled through her bag in desperation and quickly found them allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"What the… they're right here idiot!" She turned to Goku and in an admonishing tone yelled out, "Geez, you freaked me out! Stop having nightmares, will you?"

After everything had calmed down and Goku was back in his typical blue Gi he realized that the weird blue box was still floating around in the peripheral of his vision. Thinking that maybe Bulma will have some insight he turned to her and asked, " Hey Bulma, do ya' see the blue box over here? I don't know what it means?"

Said teen turned to see the odd monkey boy gesturing to thin air. Bulma assumed that he was playing some sort of joke on her… or that he was crazy which, from what little she knows of him, is quite possible.

"Stop playing around Goku there's nothing there."

Confused at her dismissal Goku became indignant. Lightly stomping his foot and sticking out his bottom lip he said, "But it _is_ there! Look, it says 'You have slept com-com-comfort-ably comfortably on the floor. Your HP has been restored by 75 squiggles'… yeah."

Now Bulma was even more confused. Goku sounded as though he was reading a prompt from one of those video games she had heard about, but he was clearly an uneducated, uncivilized country bumpkin that lived alone. There was no way he had ever even heard of a video game.

Intrigued Bulma asked him, "Is there a little button like an arrow somewhere on the screen?"

"Screen?"

"The blue box Goku, oh and that squiggle after the 75? It's probably a percent sign."

Looking at the now named screen Goku found what Bulma was talking about to the bottom right of the screen. "Oh, yeah, there is."

"Press it."

"Okay… Whoa! It went away!"

"Hmmm…" Now Bulma was sure it was like a video game. 'But how? Does he have some sort of superpowers that make his life a video game? Was it like this before we met?' "Goku have you ever seen that sort of stuff before?"

"No."

A louder hmm escaped Bulma's throat. 'Magic? Gods? …the four-star Dragon Ball? He has been in close proximity to it his entire life, then what about me? Well… the one I found was in a basement… so it probably wouldn't affect me. But why now? Is it me and my balls? Hmm… this is going to take some studying.' Then a thought popped into her brilliant brain.

"Hey Goku, can you say 'stats'?"

"Uhh… okay. Stats! Whoa!" Suddenly a large blue screen appeared before Goku, and this one had a whole bunch of words on it!

"What's it say Goku?"

"A whole buncha stuff… lemme see…"

**Name: Goku Son**

**Race: ?**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 395/395 (+3.95/s)**

**MP: 5/5 (+0/s)**

**KP: 79/79 (+0.079/s)**

**Stats - 343**

**Str: 82**

**Vit: 79**

**Agi: 67**

**Dex: 45**

**Per: 30**

**Int: 1**

**Wis: 0**

**Mnt: 0**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 27**

**Luk: 8**

**Chr: 4 **

"…that's it." Goku said after reading everything on the page.

'That's a whole lot of stuff. I don't know what half of those mean.' Bulma thought to herself. "Hey, Goku look at me for a sec."

Turning to her Goku was mildly surprised by the floating words above her head!

"Do you see anything?"

"Yeah."

Huffing angrily at his lack of tact and intuition Bulma then said through clenched teeth, "What do you see? Can you read it to me?"

"Oh! Ok. It says…"

**Bulma Briefs Lvl: 2**

'I'm also level two? Interesting.' Bulma shook her head. 'This is going to take way too long if I have to keep getting information second hand from this idiot. I remember some of those nerds from school talking about making a party with their friends. I wonder…'

"Hey Goku, can you say 'Party'?"

"Party! Oh… there's just a big blue box with my name and level and those bars, only reeeaallllyyyyy tiny."

'Here goes nothing' "Now say: Invite: Bulma."

"Alrighty, Invite Bulma!"

To Bulma's surprise and joy a blue box much like the one Goku described was floating in front of her. It said:

**You have been invited to join Goku Son's party. Do you accept?**

**[Y/N]**

"Hell yes! I accept!" She yelled while pressing Y for what she assumed was 'Yes'. Bulma then turned to Goku and was delighted to see floating above his head-

**Goku Son Lvl: 2**

'It seems odd that someone who can take bullets to the face and throw a car is the same level as me.'

"Goku, I'm going to take some time to figure this out, go do… whatever."

"Thanks Bulma, I'm gonna go train! Buh-bye." The shortstack yelled before running outside.

"You better not get lost! And be back soon… get us breakfast!" 'I'm starving, coffee is great but hopefully, the tiny Hercules will get us some wild game and he'll cook it up like last night.'

"But back to the interesting stuff. Let's start simple. Stats."

**Name: Bulma Briefs**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 2**

**HP: 55/55 (+5.5/s)**

**MP: 515/515 (+0.6/s)**

**KP: 33/33 (+0.033/s)**

**Stats - 219**

**Str: 8**

**Vit: 11**

**Agi: 9**

**Dex: 23**

**Per: 12**

**Int: 103**

**Wis: 12**

**Mnt: 10**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 5**

**Chr: 26**

"Again, way too much. Name, Race, Level, HP, and MP are obvious. KP… I don't know. Str is Strength, Vit is Vitality, Agi is… Agility? Dex is Dexterity, Per… I'm not quite sure. Int, ha, is obviously Intelligence. Wis is Wisdom, Mnt… I'm not sure. Fth is Faith? Aff I have no idea, Luk is Luck, and Chr might be Charisma. There is no EXP bar. Odd, those nerds are always talking about Experience Points."

"But that tells me nothing. Ugh… I wish Tights was here." Bulma complained before pondering her situation further.

The screen Bulma was looking at clearly had some level of tangibility, after all, Goku had touched the arrow button that she had guessed existed. Maybe the screen was an active interface? Kind of like the hologram keyboards she had been trying to figure out in her spare time.

What if…"

Taking a chance, Bulma simply reached out and pressed on the first thing that had not made sense: KP. Suddenly, a new, smaller screen appeared.

**Ki Points**

**Ki points measure the amount of Ki that your body can hold and what is currently stored within. Ki is made up of Vit, Wis, and Mnt. If a person has zero Ki, but continue using Ki based attacks they will instead use HP as a resource at a heavily increased cost. Ki regeneration is a fixed 0.1% per second.**

"Huu… so… that Ki stuff is real, not just in the movies. Also, it's definitely a resource and if you overdo it looks like you can straight up kill yourself. That's good to know I guess."

"There is that Mnt thing again… might as well click on it." Another screen appeared.

**Mental Fortitude**

**This stat measures a person's ability to think calmly in all situations, resist mental attacks and effects, and memory. Some, but very few, spells require or use this stat. Skills that use the stat tend to be of a less savory persuasion.**

"Okay… I get it. This is an important stat… well, they probably all are."

Thinking of her hologram project Bulma tried to dismiss the two screens she had opened with a swipe of her finger… and it worked!

"This thing is great. Next is… Let's just go down the list shall we?"

**Strength**

**This stat measures a person's raw strength. Many physical skills use this stat as a requirement and to calculate damage. Strength also measures how much equipment you can wear and how much mobility you have while wearing it.**

**Vitality**

**This stat measures a person's health. This includes things like HP (Vit*5), resistance to status effects, endurance, and HP regeneration. 0.05 HP Regen per second per point. Almost no skills use this stat to attack, but many use it as a requirement.**

**Agility**

**This stat measures a person's speed and reaction time. Many physical skills use this stat as a requirement and to calculate damage. This is at odds with Strength which is a statistic that Agility regularly overlaps with.**

**Dexterity**

**This stat measures a person's nimbleness and precision. While very few skills use this to calculate damage it is important if you want to actually land a hit. It is most useful in delicate tasks such as putting together a clock or a mechanical bomb.**

**Perception**

**This stat measures a person's ability to take in their surroundings. Perception is rarely used in either skill requirements or damage calculations, but it nonetheless important. What does it matter if you are strong, fast, and precise if you cannot perceive the threat?**

**Intelligence**

**This stat measures a person's capacity to learn and understand. It is also the most common stat used in spells both as damage and requirements. Intelligence is the stat used to calculate a person's mana pool at a rate of 5 MP per Intelligence point.**

**Wisdom**

**This stat measures a person's ability to apply their intelligence in practical ways. Wisdom is very important for many skill requirements, but less so for damage calculation. It also measures a person MP regeneration which is 0.05 per point.**

**Faith**

**This stat measures a person's trust and devotion in their patron deity. While Faith is not a stat that is used regularly, the skills that do use it tend to do so in exclusivity. A high Faith stat will also contribute to a deity's willingness to intervene in the real world.**

**Affinity**

**This stat measures a person's harmony with nature. While Affinity is not a stat that is used regularly, that skills that do use it tend to do so in exclusivity. A person with a high Affinity stat will find that sometimes Mother Nature seems to be helping out.**

**Luck**

**This stat measures a person's luck. Luck is a very general and vague stat which can have seemingly pointless and seemingly wonderous effects. Almost no skills use this stat in any way. The higher a person's Luck the better the rewards they get from loot sources.**

**Charisma**

**This stat measures a person's attractiveness and ability to persuade. This is another stat that is very rarely used in skills but is very practical in its day-to-day application. A high enough Charisma stat could even calm enemies.**

"Talk about an info dump." Bulma complained as she rubbed her temples. "But it's the implications that are the most worrying. Faith means there are gods out there, Affinity suggests that nature as a whole has some level of sentience if not a whole other deity. And finally Strength having 1,000 point benchmarks means that this system is intended for that level of power. Goku is close to 100 and he threw my fucking car!"

"At least now I can look at my stats and understand what everything really means. Now it makes sense that I have zeroes in Faith and Affinity."

"But what does this really mean for me?"

The teen took some time to consider her new situation. She had a strong little monkey boy as a bodyguard, a whole database of information at her fingertips that more or less explained how the world worked, and she had three Dragon Balls. But then she remembered yesterday's kidnapping. Bulma's search for the Dragon Balls had been pretty relaxed until that moment and if Goku had not been around…

The girl shivered at the thought. 'This game? has given me the chance to never feel that way again. Right? Well, I better take advantage of it. First thing I need to do is see if I can increase my stats through normal means.'

Steeling herself for what was to come, Bulma changed into some light exercise close, which she had never used for their intended purpose, and got ready to test her theory. She then spent the next hour doing pushups. Bulma honestly was not able to do much, but she ignored her exhaustion and burning muscles and kept going until the hour was up. Upon collapsing to the floor as a sweaty mess Bulma heard a high pitched ping.

**Through vigorous and continuous exercise your **

**Strength and Vitality have each gone up by one.**

Bullma let out a long sigh of relief. "So I can gain stats by doing normal stuff. Good."

'Now what about those skills?'

~GG~

When Goku had gone out to train he ran out and grabbed a large rock. In a feat of strength he lifted the rock, which was easily three times larger than himself, and crushed it with his bare hands. This repeated itself for about an hour until Goku came upon a rock that screamed!

"What? What?" yelled the rock.

"Huh?" Goku responded before noticing the "rock" had a name.

**Turtle Lvl. 1**

'It's alive!' Goku thought in wonder before running back to the capsule house with Turtle still in his hands.

He then lightly tapped the door with the turtle, summoning Bulma from within.

Said teen had been looking forward to learning about what skills were before being rudely interrupted by… "What?"

"I'm terribly sorry ma'am, but can I bother you for some salt water and a spot of seaweed on the side?" asked the turtle she was suddenly face-to-face with.

"Uhhhh, wha-? I mean… okay? Let me see."

Bewildered, Bulma rushed inside and filled up a bucket with water and added a good bit of salt.

After bringing the bucket back out, she said, "I'm sorry but we don't have any seaweed…"

Not that it mattered since the moment she had placed the bucket before the turtle he started drinking like a man… err… turtle, possessed.

Upon finishing he said, "Ah… Thank you! Thank you so much! But I should explain why I'm out here, you see… I'm a turtle."

"And what am I? Blind?" An irate Bulma yelled. 'Honestly, it feels like I'm a magnet for idiots.'

Ignoring her anger and frustration Turtle continued, "I'm a sea turtle, to be precise… but I went gathering mushrooms, don't you know, and… well, dash it all! I took a wrong turn! I've been wandering about for the past year, hoping to find my way back to the sea…"

"Wow." Said Goku giving his valuable input.

Bulma on the other hand felt a bit of pity for the creature and decided to inform him of his situation.

"But you've been going in the exact wrong direction! And you've gone a long, _long_ way!" Whipping out her trusty map Bulma figured out exactly how far they were from the ocean. "The sea is to the south… about 120 kilometers!

Absolutely flabbergasted Turtle stuttered out a reply, "120…? Oh dear, oh dear…"

Goku decided to help immediately, "Hey you want us to take you to that "sea" thing?"

Turtle lit up, "Would you really? Oh joy!"

At this point, Bulma had to interject, she only had 30 days left to find the Dragon Balls! But her retort died in her throat when a large blue screen appeared.

**[Quest Alert]**

**To the Sea!**

**Description: A poor, lost sea turtle needs your help to get back home!**

**Objectives: Bring Turtle to the sea.**

**Bonus Objectives: ?**

**Quest Completion Rewards: +2 to Str and Vit, ?, ?, ?**

**Bonus Rewards: ?, ?**

**Quest Failure: Failure to complete Quest "Hunt for the Dragon Balls"**

**Accept?**

**[Y/N]**

'Hunt for the Dragon Balls?'

To the confusion of Turtle the pretty young girl suddenly stopped moving as if to read something, then to his left the boy with the tail started yelling at the girl!

"Hey Bulma! Check dis out itsa one of dem blue screen thingies!"

"Yes, yes Goku I can see it too, remember the thing I asked you to do?"

"Uh… Yeah! Parties."

Shaking her head at the boy's overly simplistic nature she turned back to the sea turtle. "Excuse me Mr. Turtle? Can you give me and Goku a moment to discuss some things?"

Bulma then turned to Goku, grabbed one of his stubby arms, dragged him into her hoi-poi capsule house, and shut the door behind her leaving a very confused turtle behind.

Once she got him to sit down Bulma began to explain to Goku what he was seeing. "Ok Goku, can you read what the blue screen says."

"I- uh… I think." He stuttered quite unsure of himself.

"Alright… so tell me." She commanded.

And he did, rather… he tried. It quickly became evident to Bulma that his vocabulary and general knowledge of the Japanese language needed a lot of attention.

'It has to be that abysmally low Intelligence of 1 that he told me he had. But how do we fix it? There is no Experience Bar!'

Bulma then spent about 20 minutes trying to explain to Goku what the Quest prompt was telling him.

Just to be sure she had done a good job the teen asked, "Do you get it?"

Goku looked at her, then he looked at the screen, and then he looked at her. "Nope!"

"Dammit! Okay, we've left Mr. Turtle outside long enough, let's go help him. But before I do that…"

Bulma accepted the quest and then tried to mentally summon a quest page. Luckily, one appeared. The screen was divided by a small black line on the leftmost quarter of the screen. There was nothing to the right of the screen, but to the left Bulma saw a couple of words.

**Main Quest**

**Hunt for the **

**Dragon Balls **

**Side Quests**

**To the Sea!**

'Pretty straightforward. Now let's find out about this main quest.' Bulma thought before tapping on **Hunt for the Dragon Balls**.

**Main Quest **

**Hunt for the Dragon Balls**

**Description: Enraptured by the prospect of getting your wish granted you have set out to find the legendary magical orbs called Dragon Balls. A wondrous adventure awaits.**

**Objectives: Find the seven balls**

**Bonus Objectives: ?**

**Rewards: Getting your wish granted**

**Bonus Rewards: ?**

**Quest Failure: Death and a Bummer of a Summer!**

**Side Quests**

**To the Sea!**

'This is basically what I expected… NOT! Death? For this little adventure?' Bulma started freaking out, but then she remembered something. 'Wait… I already knew that. Yesterday told me that loud and clear. That's why I have Goku with me. That's why I've got to take advantage of this "game" and to do that Goku needs to stick around. Hmm…'

Bulma looked at the abnormally small boy, given his age, that she had at some point started cradling on her lap.

'He's just so huggable! Anyway, I don't play videogames, but Goku is clearly a melee fighter… and I have a gun. As long as he fights people head on I can support him with some bullets. We can do this, I WILL live.'

Her resolve set; Bulma put Goku down and opened the door for Turtle who had been patiently waiting for the entire time.

"We'll help you out buddy. But I want something good for this you hear?"

"Hmm, I'll see what I can do. Thank you for helping me though!"

"You better appreciate it! Goku! Grab this guy and let's get movin'."

"Finally!" Goku came out of the house and hoisted Turtle onto his back. "Let's go!"

"Oh my. What a strong lad." Turtle could not help but remark at the youth's display of strength. Turtle weighed about 800 pounds after all.

"He's like that." Bulma distractedly responded while she took out a motorcycle capsule and opened it. 'Thank Kami I had changed out of my sleeping shirt already or I would have missed my lack of panties! How awkward would riding a motorcycle be without panties!' Bulma chuckled to herself.

Soon Bulma was driving down the mountain road at about 60 km/h with Goku running alongside her without a problem! The wind whipping through her hair was quite pleasant and BUlma was starting to enjoy the drive. That is until it was rudely interrupted by a giant anthropomorphic bear man with a huge mohawk!

"Halt!" The bear yelled before brandishing his massive scimitar. "And how did you know that Sea Turtle was my favorite dish! Ahahaha!"

On instinct Bulma cowered in fear but then she saw what floated above the giant anthro's head.

**Kumodoshi Lvl. 1**

The absurd fact that this giant bandit was a lower level than she was boggled Bulma's mind. Confusion quickly overrode fear and all she could think was, 'Why?' Which seemed to summon a blue screen.

**Observe**

**Description: Allows the user to learn information about the people and items around them.**

**Requirements: Play the Game**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Line of Sight**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Currently only shows Name, Race, Level, HP, and MP and basic descriptions for items.**

**Special Effects: Observe cannot be used on people or enemies that have a Mental Fortitude stat that is more than double the user's. Observe can be blocked by special skills and circumstances.**

'You're telling me to use it aren't you? Fine.' Bulma thought before saying, "**Observe**."

**Name: Kumodoshi**

**Race: Beastman (Bear) (Giant)**

**Lvl: 1**

**HP: 250/1,000**

**MP: 25/25**

'What the fuck? Why is his HP so high, but so low right now? Going off of Goku's and my HP his Vitality stat should be… 200! But that doesn't seem right. His Intelligence is 5 so he's that bright eh? But that HP is weird and why isn't he regenerating? He should have a really fast regen speed…'

Goku meanwhile had already put down Turtle and dodged Kumodoshi's first strike.

'Eh? Game's not telling me' "Goku! Kick his ass!" Bulma yelled.

Which only served to confuse the poor boy. "I was already going to do that!" He yelled back. Goku then landed behind the bear and said, "Behind you!"

"Heheheh, you're a quick little monkey I'll give you that." Kumodoshi responded before winding up another strike.

Only to be interrupted by a short burst of bullets from a certain genius.

**You have dealt 51 piercing damage**

"Argh! That hurt you little shit! Hehehe, I guess I could eat some little girl soup too."

Her attack served its purpose in distracting the bandit away from Goku. Said boy quickly took advantage by leaping toward the back of the bear's head and yelling an attack.

"**Janken: Rock**!"

Goku's slightly red fist collided hard with the back of the anthro's head.

**Critical!**

**You have dealt 224 blunt damage**

**You have slain your opponent**

Kumodoshi's eyes rolled up into the back of his skull before he fell forward onto the ground. Dead.

"Okay, we can go now." Goku said with a huge smile on his youthful face. 'But that red stuff was new…'

Turtle was slightly unnerved by the display, "I say… I do say."

Bulma, on the other hand, could hear nothing. 'I just helped kill a man. I mean, he was going to kill me but… but…"

"D'you really taste that good?" Goku could not help but ask.

"Th-that is… I mean… they say sea turtles are quite nasty, really… absolutely foul! Aha- ahahaha!

Goku simply shrugged and hoisted Turtle onto his back. "Well, you certainly don't look tasty." Eliciting a sigh of relief from the turtle.

Bulma was still having a breakdown, but Goku started running again. Not wanting to be surrounded by the dangerous outdoors Bulma savagely oppressed her moral quandary and started following the small boy.

'I'll see a therapist when I get back home.' She promised to herself.

~GG~

It didn't take much longer for the trio to get to the ocean. Upon arriving Turtle was absolutely ecstatic.

"You've done it lad! It's the sea! No, No! Argue all you want, but that's the sea!" he exclaimed at the top of his turtle lungs.

"Who's arguing?" Bulma asked. 'What's up with this guy, is he an NPC or something?'

"Woah, what a wide river!" exclaimed Goku.

'Seriously?'

Goku then turned to Turtle, "Must be pretty roomy huh?"

'This boy needs a kami damned education.'

Turtle ignored the idotic statements and said, "How can I ever thank you? Really, I say, such generosity must _not_ go unrewarded!"

The old reptile continued as he swam into the ocean. "Can you wait here for just a little bit? I'll bring you back a lovely reward, really!"

"A reward?"

Bulma just shook her head in mild confusion, 'Does this guy not know how conversations work?' "I would love to see what a Turtle's idea of a _reward_ is though."

Once Turtle had disappeared from their sight Bulma pepped up a bit. "At least now I can go swimming!" she said before running into the forest to get some privacy to change.

Goku meanwhile drank water from the ocean. "Bleh! Who put all this salt in the water?"

About an hour later, around the time Bulma was getting pruney and exiting the water, a dot could be seen coming from the horizon. A couple of minutes later Turtle had returned… with an old man on his back.

"Aloha!" Master Roshi greeted the two youths. 'Ohoho, check on the rack on that one!' He thought as he checked out Bulma in her simple white two piece bikini.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Turtle collowed.

Bulma rolled her eyes. 'What the hell is an old man going to give me?'

"So you helped my friend here?"

"Who are you old timer?" Goku asked.

"I? I am…. Kame-Sen'nin! The Turtle Hermit!"

"They both helped you?" Roshi asked Turtle.

"Only the lad I'm afraid."

"Turtle Hermit? Hey wait! I helped too!" Bulma protested

"Barely." Turtle scoffed.

"…Anyhow…" Roshi walked up to Goku, " Well, m'boy, we owe you one. An' I'm paying up… with a mighty nice reward!"

"Not again…" Goku grumbled as he experienced flashbacks of Bulma pointlessly showing him her panties.

Roshi then grandly gestured into the sky with his wooden cane. 'COME TO ME… IMMORTAL PHOENIX!

A whole lot of nothing happened. "Was that "immortal" or "invisible"?" Bulma asked.

"Sir, if you'll recall the unpleasantness of the tainted bird seed." Turtle helpfully reminded him.

"Gaaah, that's right! We lost the poor feller…"

"…The Immortal Phoenix died?" Bulma could not help but ask.

Roshi rubbed his chin in thought. "I was going to ask him to grant you immortality… but I guess we better scratch that… I've got it!" Roshi gestured again. "This is even better! KINTO'UN!"

Seconds later a small yellow cloud could be seen coming closer.

"Waah!" yelled Goku in excitement.

'Phew' mentally sighed Roshi.

"I-I-It's a cloud?" asked Bulma as she was barely able to believe her eyes. But she had a way to get to confirm it. '**Observe**.'

**Flying Nimbus**

**Description: A magical cloud capable of flying at high speeds. It only accepts those who are pure of heart as riders. It is controlled by the rider's will.**

**Type: Vehicle**

**Quality: Legendary**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: Immune to All Damage except for Evil Ki**

**Enhancements: N/A**

'Evil Ki and Pure of Heart. Does this game have an alignment chart?' Bulma wondered.

The cloud then came to a screeching halt in front of the group.

"This is Flying Nimbus and I give it to you!"

"…How do I eat it?"

"You don't eat a magical cloud! You ride it, boy. It'll take you wherever you desire."

Bulma could no longer keep quiet about the absurdity in front of her. "Hey, why does a "Turtle Hermit" have a magic cloud? I mean, where's the logic?"

"Deal with it."

"Wow, you mean it'll really fly me?" Goku asked.

"That's the ticket boy! BUT… unless you're pure of heart, it'll never even let you on! This cloud's got standards!"

Roshi then leapt up into the air. "Here. Watch this!" And promptly fell through.

"Eeeyyaaa! My hip!" The old man screamed as he struggled to stand up.

A frantic Turtle asked, "Master… how can this be?"

Bulma was laughing her ass off.

"Surely it's defective." Turtle offered.

"Needs a little tune-up mebbe…"

Undaunted Goku leapt on as well. "Let me try!" He successfully landed on the cloud. "Woo!"

"It seems to be fixed, sir."

"Maybe just a power surge."

"Go cloud!"

Goku then pulled a bunch of sick flips and twists in the sky before coming to a stop in front of Roshi.

"This is great! Thanks a billion!"

Bulma could not hold back any longer. "Hey old timer! Gimme one too! Gimme one too!" 

"Y'said the girl didn't help ya?" Roshi asked Turtle.

"Only a bit sir…"

"Hey now! Who made sure we were going the right way? Who gave you salt water? Who made sure that Goku had an easy time taking down that big guy?"

"Hmmm… I suppose ya' did do something…"

It was then that Bulma noticed the necklace the old guy was wearing.

"Hey! I'll take that thing that you've got hanging around your neck."

"This old thing?" Roshi asked before taking it off and hanging it between them. "Purty ain't it? Skimmed it off the ocean floor 'bout a hundred years back and put it in a necklace."

Bulma held the necklace in reverence. "D-don't tell me it's a… Yo, Goku, get your monkey butt down here!"

Goku listened and came down from his joyriding in front of his female companion. "What's up?"

"Look at this! Do you see it?" Bulma asked while offering the necklace.

"A Dragon Ball!"

"Then I'm right, right?"

"There's three stars in it! It must be the sanshin chuu, huh?"

Bulma then pulled her dragon radar out of her pocket and turned it on. "I kinda remember one being far to the south, but I can't believe it was so easy to find!"

"And now we've got four!"

"Hey now, who said I was giving it to you?" Roshi interjected. 'Not when I can make some money off of it.'

"Too bad old timer, you gave it to me already!"

"Well sir… you did give it to her…"

"Don't go taking their side now!"

"Knock it off old man or… Goku will kick your ass!"

"Huh?" Goku had already gotten onto the Flying Nimbus and was about to fly away again when he heard his name.

"Ohoho? You whippersnappers think you're tough, eh?" Roshi asked before settling into the Kame Style stance.

"Yeah! Goku, this guy is trying to steal the Dragon Ball!"

"What!"

"Yeah! Kick his ass!"

Goku was angry, why would that old guy try to take what he had already given them! He quickly started combat by whipping out his Power Pole and expanding it while swinging at the old man's head.

Roshi easily reacted to the attack and caught it bare handed.

"Now I haven't seen this in a long time. Wait… are you Gohan's boy?"

Goku stopped trying to yank the Power Pole from the weirdly strong old man's grip. "Gohan? You know my Grandpa?"

"Know him? I trained him!"

At this point there clearly was not going to be a fight. Roshi even let go of the Power Pole which let Goku shrink it and put it away.

But Bulma was still wary and decided to use **Observe**.

**Observe had failed. The opponent's MNT stat is more than double yours.**

'Sweet kami, that could have ended badly. Note to self, always **observe** an enemy.'

"Wow, Grandpa never told me that. I wonder why…"

"Eh, who cares. Hey kid, why don't we spar a little? Show me what your old man taught ya'!"

"Okay!"

**You have entered a spar. Upon defeat the loser will be left with 1 HP.**

Goku started the fight by dashing in and using **Janken: Rock**. Roshi dodged the attack without ease and retaliated with an open palm strike the overextended and wide open Goku.

**You have taken 189 blunt damage**

She could not see the screen Goku saw, but she could see his HP drop and what she saw scared her. 'That was almost half of Goku's health! In a single punch!'

Goku already knew all of this but it hardly mattered when he was flying through the air and trying to land on his feet. He successfully stuck the landing and braced himself for an attack, but Roshi was simply standing there.

"W-Wow, you're pretty strong, old guy." Goku spat out.

"I hope so, like I said, I taught your grandpa!" Roshi answered while doing some light stretches.

"Yeah."

Not wanting to give him anymore time Goku grabbed the Power Pole once again. Instead of just swinging it from a distance Goku used it to vault into the air. Worst case scenario he missed his aerial attack and followed up with a swing from the Power Pole.

Goku dropped onto Roshi with a hammer kick from his left leg as he had intended, but Roshi neither dodged nor did he get hit. Instead he redirected the leg to his right and into the sand below. Once again of balance Goku was unable to follow up with his staff as intended. Instead and threw out a **Janken: Rock** with a red-hued right hand that Roshi was unable to block.

**You have dealt 90 blunt damage**

Goku used the momentum from his punch to spin on the heel of the leg that was buried into the sand and followed up with a roundhouse kick which Roshi blocked with his forearm.

**You have dealt 33 blunt damage**

With one leg buried into the sand and the other blocked by a surprisingly sturdy arm Goku had left himself open for a brutal retaliation… if he had not had a tail.

Roshi counter attacked with a punch to Goku's exposed stomach, but instead of a clean hit the Turtle Hermit found his wrist grabbed by a tail. Goku then used his tail to spin himself away from Roshi's punch while staying connected to him.

Roshi was not thrown off balance by the failed attack, but he was not prepared to deal with the monkey boy's impressive use of his simian appendage. Goku was now above him by using his tail as a leg to stand on Roshi's outstretched arm. Thus he was unable to avoid the downward swing of the Power Pole as it connected with his bald head.

**Critical!**

**You have dealt 291 blunt damage**

**Your opponent is stunned for 2 seconds**

Not willing to waste the fantastic advantage he had Goku used his Janken combo.

"**Janken: Rock**,** Paper**,** Scissors**!" When Goku threw out his Scissors he had an epiphany. "**Paper**? **Rock**!" The first **Paper** extended Roshi's stun by another two seconds, but the second **Paper** failed to do so so Goku used a **Rock** and jumped away. His assault lasted ten seconds.

**5 Janken strikes used! Damage increased by 15%**

**You have dealt 408 Damage**

**The Enemy has fainted**

That message really surprised Goku and Bulma who was able to see it now since he had landed near her. They both watched in surprise as the geezer fell over unconscious, but their stunned reactions were not the biggest ones.

"Goodness me. Oh my. Sir? Sir! Do wake up sir!" Turtle waddled over and started gently shaking the Turtle Hermit and five seconds later he succeeded.

"Wowwee. Never in all my years has a youngin' ever gotten me so well." He hobbled up onto his feet and walked over to Goku. "You've got talent, kid. I want to train ya'."

"Uh…but I just kicked your ass?"

"Hohoho! Next time I'll take off my shell and maybe use a couple of real moves on you! You might be strong, but I've seen four different centuries!"

Despite the amazing information it was clear Goku was not quite getting it so Bulma stepped in. "Goku, I think this guy can teach you a lot. Maybe after we find all of the Dragon Balls you can come back and train with him?"

"Hmmm…. Okay."

"Great!" Roshi crowed. "You come around soon ya' hear? I live in a straight line thataway, you can't miss it if you fly over with the Flying Nimbus. See ya'!"

With that Roshi leapt onto Turtle's back and began the trip home, his mind full of thoughts about training this promising lad.

~GG~

**AN: Phew! I really got into it! This chapter ended up being longer than I wanted. While I generally shoot for the 5,000 word count range I prefer first chapters to be a bit shorter so that readers aren't overwhelmed from the outset. So I cut the last bit of this chapter and am using it for the beginning of the next one which means chapter 2 should not take too long to come out.**

**As I said above I am radically changing the game's system and there is a lot to go over on that so this is really for you hardcore fans.**

**Readers might notice that this system is a fusion of two fictional game systems out there. Everybody Loves Large Chests and Stop, Friendly Fire. This is for a lot of reasons.**

**First off, the Gamer system from before was already starting to spiral out of control and I had just started the fic. We hadn't even gotten to the 5th chapter of Dragon Ball! That's insane! Numbers were already getting crazy and Experience was too easy to get in a world where fighting is the norm and just ugh. The future of the fic was a mess and the game was interfering with the story because I was afraid things would spiral out of control even more. It was a bad situation.**

**ELLC and Stop, Friendly Fire are both systems that lend themselves to long stories. In both cases their MCs can absorb skills and stats from bodies which puts them so far from the curve that it's mind boggling, but both stories make it clear that this is insane in their worlds. Dragon Ball takes place over the course of 25 years. More if you count Super, GT or even the final chapter of the manga which is 5 years after Buu or something. This time needs to pass without characters achieving the power of gods in a week or two. In both stories people die of old age without reaching higher levels because of how difficult it is and I like that.**

**So what's my hybrid system? We're taking the character sheet from ELLC, 12 attributes covering every bit of real world information. We're taking the leveling system from Stop, Friendly Fire which is stat based, EDIT: level 2 is 200+ stats, level 3 is 400+ stats, and level 4 is 600+ stats. The stat requirement will be increased by 200 for five levels before the stat increase will itself be increased by 200. The next couple of levels are below:**

**1- 0 + 200**

**2- 200 + 200**

**3- 400 + 200**

**4- 600 + 200**

**5- 800 + 400**

**6- 1,200 + 400**

**7- 1,600 + 400**

**8- 2,000 + 400**

**9- 2,400 + 400**

**10- 2,800 + 600**

**11- 3,400 + 600**

**12- 4,000 + 600**

**13- 4,600 + 600**

**14- 5,200 + 600**

**15- 5,800 + 800**

**16- 6,600 + 800**

**So every fifth level there is a jump. I wanted to do this so that characters can actually level up every so often and so that Freeza or Cell aren't level 10 or something. That's extremely underwhelming and I want to do something with level ups sp they have to happen more often. Still difficult and I'll see how it shakes out. As such Roshi's level has changed.**

**I'm doing this to replace the job system from ELLC. Why? A couple of reasons:**

**I don't think a job system would work well with Goku. He could easily be a couple of classes like Fighter or Monk, but it's also limiting because I can't not make his race a job. With all of his transformations it fits too well into his race being his job, but then would I have to make other character's jobs Human? **

**Not to mention I don't want to deviate ALL that much from the way Goku fights canonically… but the more I think about it the less I care. What's the point of fanfiction if you don't change things?**

**Err… honestly, the more I think about it the more I'm okay with jobs. That's mostly because the job system would be absolutely perfect for every single other character. It gives them direction because while the infinite possibilities and personal customization of a jobless system is great… **

**oh now I'm going the other way again… **

**I'll leave it as is. If you readers think I should ditch Stop, Friendly Fire's level system and go for ELLC's job system tell me. I might put up a poll if it becomes a big enough topic.**

**Part of why I like the level system is because it lets me give characters unique and relevant skills upon level up which I really like. Not to mention the Rank Up system from ELLC gets in the way of Saiyan being a job. There's no one to mentor someone through a Rank Up so everyone would have to Breakthrough or I would have to make some weird stuff up.**

**Oh, and Anthropomorphic people are Beastmen now, I don't know why I used that long ass name.**

**UGH, there's a lot to think about. Any questions you guys have just leave it in a review or PM me. Thoughtful reviews are, of course, appreciated.**

**Here are Kumodoshi's full stats just like last time.**

**Name: Kumodoshi**

**Race: Beastman (Bear) (Giant)**

**Lvl: 1**

**HP: 250/1,000**

**MP: 25/25**

**KP: 55/55**

**Stats - 170**

**Str: 50**

**Vit: 50**

**Agi: 30**

**Dex: 20**

**Per: 5**

**Int: 5**

**Wis: 5**

**Mnt: 0**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 5**

**Chr: 0**

**Giant: Being of large stature Vitality is 4x more effective than it is for normal sized people.**

**Starving: HP regeneration has been disabled**

**Also Roshi**

**Name: Roshi**

**Race: Human (Immortal)**

**Lvl: 6**

**HP: 740/740**

**MP: 765/765**

**KP: 619/619**

**Stats - 1,230**

**Str: 125**

**Vit: 148**

**Agi: 100**

**Dex: 81**

**Per: 117**

**Int: 153**

**Wis: 276**

**Mnt: 195**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 30**

**Chr: 5**

**Thx ;)**


	2. Systems

**AN: Right into it with this chapter. I want to use this one to dive deeply into the game system and Bulma and Goku. This chapter might be a massive info dump, but everything I talk about will be relevant. Honestly it's all for Bulma's sake, I don't really expect you the reader to remember everything perfectly.**

**I made a few small edits and corrections to the previous chapter, but a big one was that I changed the secondary effect of Strength. The damage reduction thing only existed because I could not think of anything despite equipment load being the obvious choice.**

**On with the show**

~GG~

Chapter 2: Systems

The sixteen-year-old and the twelve-year-old who could not count and thought he was fourteen sat in silence as they watched the old man disappear over the horizon. Once he did a gigantic screen appeared in front of Goku.

**Feat of Strength Performed: Fight a Stronger Opponent and Survive!**

**Special Clause: You have defeated a Legendary Opponent!**

**You gain +2 to Str, Vit, Agi, and Dex**

**The Martial Art Janken has leveled up!**

**Janken: Rock**

**Description: The user throws a strong punch.**

**Requirements: Str: 20, Agi: 20, Vit: 20**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: User's Reach**

**Damage: Str + 40**

**Effects: None**

**Special Effect: If used in combination with [Janken: Scissors] and [Janken: Paper] damage will be increased by 4% per technique used.**

**The Janken arts are treated as a single art and share proficiency**

**Janken: Paper**

**Description: The user unleashes a strong palm strike.**

**Requirements: Str: 20, Agi: 20, Vit: 20**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: User's Reach**

**Damage: Str**

**Effects: Criticals hit have a 13% chance to stun opponents for 2.5 seconds**

**Special Effect: If used in combination with [Janken: Scissors] and [Janken: Rock] damage will be increased by 4% per technique used.**

**The Janken arts are treated as a single art and share proficiency**

**Janken: Scissors**

**Description: The user aims a strike at an enemy's eyes with their fingers.**

**Requirements: Str: 20, Agi: 20, Vit: 20**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: User's Reach**

**Damage: ½ Agi + ½ Dex**

**Effects: Critical hits have a 20% chance to blind opponents for 4 seconds**

**Special Effect: If used in combination with [Janken: Rock] and [Janken: Paper] damage will be increased by 4% per technique used.**

**The Janken arts are treated as a single art and share proficiency**

**+2 to Str, Vit, and Agi**

Goku had no idea what all the words meant. He had stopped reading at "Special Clause," but Bulma read the entire thing and promptly sat down on her motorcycle to mull things over. But when she did yet another large screen appeared.

**You have completed the Quest: To the Sea!**

**To the Sea!**

**Description: A poor, lost sea turtle needs your help to get back home!**

**Objectives: Bring Turtle to the sea.**

**Bonus Objectives: Fight the Legendary Turtle Hermit**

**Quest Completion Rewards: +2 to Str and Vit, Flying Nimbus, 3-star Dragon Ball, Increased reputation with the Turtle Hermit and Turtle**

**Bonus Rewards: Feat of Strength for the combatant, Spell Book**

**Quest Failure: Failure to complete Quest "Hunt for the Dragon Balls"**

**The Quest has been completed perfectly +2 to Luck**

"Woah, okay. A lot of information. First, beating that guy was amazing for Goku, he wasn't even supposed to beat him given what the Bonus Reward is saying. Next, the Feat gave Goku ten stat points and Janken gave him six stat points upon leveling up completely independent of, but of course relying on, the feat of strength. Also, martial arts has their own designation."

Goku started flying on the Flying Nimbus since he started getting bored of Bulma just sitting around.

"Now the quest. The plus two to Strength and Vitality were a given. Goku got the Flying Nimbus because we stuck around like Turtle said. I got the Dragon Ball because I asked for it and then made Goku fight for it. The reputation increase is because our interaction ended positively. These are all assumptions and not facts. Interestingly enough, they are presented in the order that they happened. Did the Game know this was going to happen? Hmm…"

Goku was doing impressive corkscrews in the air now.

"Now there is the Bonus Objective. Clearly Goku exceeded expectations, but would we have gotten the Spell Book if he had not won? Speaking of, where is the Spell Book?"

Bulma looked at the Beach around her and finally saw a small book laying on the sand a few feet in front of where Goku had been standing when the screens first appeared. She went over, picked up the book, and dusted away the sand that had gotten onto and into it. The name of the book intrigued the teen.

**Elementary Spells: Manabolt**

But to call the Spell Book and book would be a disservice to books everywhere. It was more of a pamphlet, byt Bulma's estimate there were less than thirty pages. A very quick read. Bulma looked up and watched Goku have a ball while flying through the sky on the Flying Nimbus.

'I can take a few minutes to read this…' So she did.

About forty minutes later Bulma finished reading the Spell Book in excruciating detail. It utterly fascinated the girl to the point that she had reread some sections. The book details mana collection in the body and how a witch or wizard could access that mana in order to form spells in the first couple of pages. Then it went into the spell mentioned on the cover: Manabolt. The book described it as the most basic and crude of all magic as the caster literally just collected mana and then expelled it at high speeds to deal damage to an opponent. It was much closer to assaulting someone with a thrown baseball than it was an expression of the mystic arts. Manabolt was a weak spell, but it helped casters become familiar with shaping their mana with chants thus creating the foundation upon which all mystical arts are built upon. When Bulma closed the book a screen appeared in front of her.

**Congratulations! You have learned the spell [Manabolt]**

**Manabolt**

**Description: A simple offensive spell that teaches people the basics of magic. Very weak.**

**Requirements: Int: 20**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Projectile**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: 10 MP**

**Range: 10 ft (3 m)**

**Damage: 10**

**Effects: N/A**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 to Int and +2 to Wis**

"Yes!" Bulma cheered. "Haha, fuck it!" She stretched out her hand and channeled the mana within her that she could now feel and yelled, "**Manabolt**!"

A small comet of bright blue mana shot out of Bulma's hand and fizzled out the moment it had traveled ten feet.

"Huh… the book said that people had to meditate for hours, days, even years before they gained access to their Mana pool, but I already knew how to do it… even though I didn't know how to do it a minute ago and the book didn't really go into it that much… Hmm."

Bulma searched her memory for when she could have possibly learned such a skill and quickly realized that it was at the same moment she had been told that she had learned **Manabolt**.

'So the game supplies knowledge… interesting.'

Too curious to ignore her knew spell Bulma shot out ten more before getting bored.

'There is still so much that I don't know about this game and it's starting to get late…'

"Goku! I'm going to go find a good spot to set up the Hoi-poi house! Follow me so that you know where it is!"

"Okay!" Goku screamed back.

Bulma rolled her eyes. 'That kid has too much energy.'

She then hopped onto her bike and drove away from the beach. It did not take long to find a nice spot of flat land to open her house on and within an hour Bulma had showered and gotten into bed.

~GG~

**You have slept comfortably in your bed. Your HP, MP and KP have been fully restored.**

Bulma awoke to find Goku conked out on the floor next to her bed… stinking to high hell. The hyperactive boy had spent most of the afternoon flying around on the Flying Nimbus and fell asleep at a late hour. The sun was quite hot near the sea and he had worked up quite a sweat, one that was not completely washed away when he dove for fish to eat for dinner. So he smelled like the ocean _and_ sweat.

"Ugh, get your ass up and showered Goku. You smell like hell." Bulma complained as she poked Goku with her foot.

"Huh? What?" Goku slowly woke up and wiped the crust from his eyes.

"You need to shower Goku!" Bulma yelled.

"Yeesh! Why you gotta be so loud?" Goku grumbled. Nonetheless the monkey boy ambled into the restroom to get clean.

While Goku showered Bulma prepared a small breakfast of eggs and leftover rice. While she ate and Goku showered she began talking to him.

"Goku, I want to spend today figuring out how this game thing works."

"Okay?"

"So that means I'm not going anywhere today. I'll be staying in the house. Go out and have fun… or something."

"Imma fly again!"

"Sounds good."

Within a few minutes Goku was out of the house and looking for food and Bulma had just finished washing her dishes.

'Alright let's do this!'

"Game, can I see the page that has my spells and skills and stuff on them?"

A screen appeared with only three words on the leftmost side.

**Skills **

**Spells**

**Martial Arts**

**Masteries**

**Transformations**

"Hmm, maybe just a click?" Bulma wondered before pressing on 'skill.'

**Skills**

**Observe**

**Description: Allows the user to learn information about the people and items around them.**

**Requirements: Play the Game**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Line of Sight**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Currently only shows Name, Race, Level, HP, and MP and basic descriptions for items.**

**Special Effects: Observe cannot be used on people or enemies that have a Mental Fortitude stat that is more than double the user's. Observe can be blocked by special skills and circumstances.**

**Tinkerer**

**Description: You just like messing with stuff. Figuring out how something works and learning how to pull it apart and put it back together fills you with joy.**

**Requirements: Int: 50**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Passive, Item Targeted**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Touch**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Grants the user basic knowledge of all mechanical and electrical devices.**

**Higher levels increase the amount of knowledge the user can glean from a device.**

**Spells**

**Martial Arts**

**Masteries**

**Transformations**

"That's it? I have tons of skills! I guess **Tinkerer** is nice but… ugh, I'll just open the other ones."

**Skills**

**Spells**

**Manabolt**

**Description: A simple offensive spell that teaches people the basics of magic. Very weak.**

**Requirements: Int: 20**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Projectile**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: 10 MP**

**Range: 10 ft (3 m)**

**Damage: 10**

**Effects: N/A**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Martial Arts**

**None**

**Masteries**

**Handgun Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of all types of handguns.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by handgun type weapons by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Submachine Gun Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of all types of Submachine Guns.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by SMG type weapons by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Transformations**

**None**

"Huh, I guess I got **Handgun Mastery** from my pistol and **Submachine Gun** mastery from my uzi.. Well, at least I know I'll get better with guns, and I have options!"

…

"That was kinda disappointing. The transformations thing seems kinda weird. Should I expect to one day just learn how to transform into something?"

Bulma shrugged because there was no way she could ever know right now.

"Okay, is there anything else of note I should be looking out for? Game? C'mon throw me a bone…"

Someone did throw her a bone because a new screen appeared in front of her.

**Perks**

**Debuffs**

**Special Perks**

"Huh, thanks I guess… whoever you are. Might as well as open all of these too."

**Perks**

**My Daddy is Famous**

**Description: You come from an affluent and famous household.**

**Effects: Reputation gains are increased by 20% with anyone who recognizes you.**

**Chance to earn the [Big Head] debuff**

**Debuffs**

**Big Head**

**Description: You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy… err…. girl.**

**Effect: Reputation gains with strangers are reduced by 50%.**

**Easier than normal to lose reputation**

**Special Perks**

**Genius**

**Description: You're smarter than the average bear… by a lot.**

**Effects: Intelligence gains are increased by 50%**

"What. The. Fuck? What the fuck?" Bulma dismissed the screen. "Fuck you game. I don't have a big head. I also don't ride my fame that hard you bitch. Fuck you."

It took several minutes for the blue haired girl to calm down enough so that she could continue learning about this _thing_ that dictated her life now.

"Inventory."

Nothing appeared.

"No inventory? Weird, at least I have my capsules. What else is there? My stats?"

**Name: Bulma Briefs**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 2**

**HP: 70/70 (+0.7/s)**

**MP: 560/560 (+0.7/s)**

**KP: 46/46 (+0.046)**

**Stats - 232**

**Str: 11**

**Vit: 14**

**Agi: 9**

**Dex: 23**

**Per: 12**

**Int: 106**

**Wis: 14**

**Mnt: 10**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 7**

**Chr: 26**

"Okay… I've gone up a bit… but we really haven't had combat yet… I hope my Vitality isn't too low."

After dismissing her stat screen and thinking for a few moments on what else she could do Bulma pulled out her uzi.

"**Observe**."

**Bulma's Uzi**

**Description: A relatively common submachine gun that has been tinkered with by the young genius Bulma Briefs. As such the weapon is more than your typical pistol.**

**Type: SMG**

**Quality: Uncommon**

**Damage: 10 per bullet**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 18/20**

**Enhancements: Larger Magazine, Easier Reload, Faster Fire Rate**

"Well… that just makes sense since that's how I modified it. Oh! That's where that 1 damage came from yesterday. But… ugh that's barely any damage at all! Guess I have to train it a lot more."

Bulma then spent the next couple of hours observing pretty much everything she had from her forks to her house. By the time lunch rolled around almost nothing of note had occurred except for the fact that **Observe** got a level.

**Observe**

**Description: Allows the user to learn information about the people and items around them.**

**Requirements: Play the Game**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Line of Sight**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Currently shows Name, Race, Level, HP, and MP, the six basic stats, and simple descriptions for items that are not yours.**

**Special Effects: Observe cannot be used on people or enemies that have a Mental Fortitude stat that is more than double the user's. Observe can be blocked by special skills and circumstances.**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis and Mnt**

"That's… pretty good I guess." Bulma said as she chowed down on a ham sandwich. "But is that it as far as information goes?"

No divine intervention this time.

"Fine, I guess all that's left is to check out Goku's info and head towards the next ball."

Sure in her objective Bulma cleaned up the house, put on her traveling clothes, and packed up her hoi-poi house.

"Goku!" she screamed out to the heavens when she had finished packing up.

Neither the boy nor his yellow cloud could be seen in the sky so Bulma just yelled for a little while hoping he would hear her. She was right. A few minutes later Goku flew in… carrying a large bear carcass.

"What's up Bulma?"

"Eww." Bulma whined. "I'm ready to go. Let's head towards the next ball… keep your distance."

The twelve year old had no idea why someone would want him to keep his distance, it was just a little blood… and some guts. Okay maybe there was a lot of both and despite being mostly noseblind to the scent Goku knew he was exuding a strong stench.

So he shrugged. "Okay, let's go!"

~GG~

The next day Bulma woke up herself and Goku, who she made sure had showered the night before, and sent him off to get his breakfast while she ate hers. Once they were both done with their meals Bulma sat the tail-having boy down.

"Alright Goku, this should be pretty quick. I just want to see some information about you and we'll get going. This is also important so that you know how to navigate this thing without me."

"Navigate?"

Bulma groaned. "…Like to move through. Uhm… you navigate the skies when you fly on the Flying Nimbus. You navigate yourself through the forest whenever you walk around in it. So I want you to know what you're doing when you use the game menus."

"…Okay." Goku did not understand.

"Whatever, Goku, can you please say the words 'skill menu'?"

"Skill menu."

**Skills **

**Spells**

**Martial Arts**

**Masteries**

**Transformations**

"Now I want you to open all of them by clicking on the words. Except… do you have any moves like Janken?"

"No. Okay, skill Martial arts because we saw that the other day."

"Alrighty."

**Skills **

**Observe**

**Description: Allows the user to learn information about the people and items around them.**

**Requirements: Play the Game**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Line of Sight**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Currently only shows Name, Race, Level, HP, and MP and basic descriptions for items.**

**Special Effects: Observe cannot be used on people or enemies that have a Mental Fortitude stat that is more than double the user's. Observe can be blocked by special skills and circumstances.**

**Ki Sense**

**Description: Allows the user to sense the inherent life energy of all living beings: Ki.**

**Requirements: Be Taught or 20 Aff**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: 10 Meters**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: The user can sense Ki**

**If they concentrate individual Ki signatures can be distinguished**

**At higher levels the range and precision will increase**

**Spells**

**None**

**Martial Arts**

**Masteries**

**Staff Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of staff type weapons.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 2**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by staff type weapons by 4%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Transformations**

**?**

**?**

**?**

"Y-you have a transformation?!" Bulma yelled upon seeing the question marks.

"I guess."

"No that's not… whatever. **Observe** I also have and **Staff Mastery** is just like my **Handgun** **Mastery**. Nothing crazy… except for the fact that you have a transformation… and I really don't like that it's something we can't know. Next, say: perks menu."

"Perks menu."

**Perks**

**Debuffs**

**Special Perks**

"Same thing as last time Goku."

He needed no further instruction and successfully opened all of the submenus.

**Perks**

**Mountain Man **

**Description: You are one with nature and nature thinks that's pretty cool.**

**Effect: +10 Perception and +20 Luck while in Nature**

**Affinity gains are easier while in Nature**

**Hard Headed**

**Description: You've got a thick skull, literally.**

**Effect: 1% Chance to receive 50% reduced damage from head attacks**

**Debuffs**

**Uneducated**

**Description: Grandpa Gohan loved you but he didn't give you much of an education before he died. You're practically a caveman!**

**Severity: Curable**

**Effects: All Intelligence gains are reduced by 50%**

**Reputation gains reduced by 20%**

**Severe Head Trauma**

**Description: As a baby you were quite the fiesty one, always causing a raucous and breaking things. That is until one day when Grandpa Gohan brought you on a walk and you got out of the carrier! Unfortunately you fell down a deep ravine, and can you believe it? You split your head wide open. It was come and go for a while but you lived and from then on you acted like the most pleasant and agreeable child ever.**

**Severity: Incurable***

**Effects: All Intelligence, Wisdom, Mental Fortitude, and Charisma gains are reduced by 90% **

**Intelligence and Wisdom Stats are reduced by 50%**

**Incapable of romantic love**

**50% chance to fail in learning a skill**

**Incapable of learning from a Skill Book**

**Causes 'socially inept' debuff**

***All incurable debuffs can be cured through divine intervention**

**Socially Inept**

**Description: You just don't get people!**

**Severity: Curable**

**Effects: All reputation gains are reduced by 50%**

**Charisma stat is worth 0 to strangers**

**Cannot learn Charisma based skills**

**Special Perks**

**?**

**?**

**?**

"Sweet Kami… that's a lot of bad… like way too much bad."

"Err… Bulma?" Even if Goku could not read well the concern in Bulma's voice was obvious.

"Well… let's just say that we're going to have a tough time doing some stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Well… Goku, pull up your stats."

"Okay, stats."

**Name: Goku Son**

**Race: ?**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 425/425 (+4.25/s)**

**MP: 5/5 (+0/s)**

**KP: 85/85 (+0.085/s)**

**Stats - 363**

**Str: 88**

**Vit: 85**

**Agi: 71**

**Dex: 47**

**Per: 30**

**Int: 1**

**Wis: 0**

**Mnt: 0**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 27**

**Luk: 10**

**Chr: 4 **

"So look at this… oh… you're not human…. Huh. Anyway, you see those letters I-N-T and W-I-S?"

"Yeah?"

"The fact that those numbers are so low is very, very bad."

"Oh?"

"Yes, so we want to make those numbers bigger. The problem is… those debuffs." Bulma reached toward the screens and put the stat screen on Goku's left and the perk screen on his right. "There are three words on the left… what are they?"

"Uhh, Perks, Debuffs and Special Perks."

"Great, what do they mean?"

"…I don't know. Bulma… I'm bored. Are ya' sure I gotta be here?" 

"Huuuuu, yes Goku. I already learned all of this and you need to as well. Alright?"

"..."

"It's an important part of getting stronger?"

"Oooh? Really?"

"Yeah, it is, so you have to know what's happening."

"Fine."

"Good, so…"

What proceeded was almost four hours of painfully slow vocabulary lessons. Bulma would have Goku read a few words, if he could not pronounce them she would teach him how, then she would ask him whether or not he actually knew what they meant, if he did not, which happened about thirty percent of the time, she would have to explain. Bulma spent a long time teetering on the edge of a breakdown, Goku's inability to understand things was beyond infuriating especially for a genius like herself who was more often than not quick on the uptake.

But she restrained herself, the reason for his disability was literally spelled out in front of her so she knew from the outset that this was going to be an uphill battle. It was still exhausting when she had to define a word in three or four different ways in as simple language as possible before Goku had a firm grasp on its meaning. The worst part for Bulma was when they had to stop everything so that she could bring up the stat info page and help Goku understand what all of those meant. The straw that broke the camel's back though, was Goku's stomach gurgling so loudly that it interrupted her.

"Alright! Lunch time! Goku, go fill your gob and I'll eat something too. And be quick about it, we still have a lot to go over!"

"Why~!" Goku whined, but he did not wait for a response and instead went out to hunt.

"Kami above… please help me." Bulma prayed.

It was a statement made mostly in jest. Bulma was not religious in the slightest and despite the game more or less confirming the existence of divine beings it had not really changed her mindset, but she could not help the sliver of hope she felt that perhaps someone was listening.

**A special action has been performed.**

**Faith +1**

**You've gotten a skill!**

**Teaching**

**Description: The act of imparting knowledge is one of the greatest things a person can do. It is a process that often calls for patience and understanding that very few are equipped with, but the results are truly precious.**

**Requirements: OVERRIDDEN**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Voice**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases the likelihood that someone will understand what you are teaching them**

**This effect is increased by the user's Int, Wis, and Mnt stats**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis and Mnt**

"Well… guess I'm a believer. Kami just gave me an ability. I… I guess I'm doing the right thing. That's… wow…"

Bulma spent the rest of lunch in awe of what had happened and coming to grips with the fact that one of the "guys in the sky" was actively interested in her. 'Or maybe 'guy in the sky'? I don't know.' Either way, the only thing that broke her out of her reverie was Goku barging in… smelling horribly.

"How? How do you get so stinky so quickly? It's been like… an hour?" Time flies when you ponder on the existence of divine beings.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll go shower."

Bulma gasped. 'He's learning.'

The next four hours were more or less the same as the previous four and were interrupted in the exact same way. When the duo went to sleep for the night Bulma could not help but to be pleased with herself. Not only had she gotten another level in teaching, but she felt that Goku was finally able to grasp some of the concepts they had been going over. The only damper was the fact that the boy had not gained a point of intelligence the entire time, but with his debuffs such a thing was to be expected.

~GG~

Two days later Bulma was slightly disappointed. Goku had become too impatient to spend another day studying so they had traveled toward the closest Dragon Ball. It was during these long hours of nothing but road, forest, sky, and her own mind that Bulma found herself realizing that she was becoming less interested in the Dragon Balls and more interested in the game.

The Dragon Balls could grant any wish the user desired, which was very cool, but one wish was just one wish. At most it could satisfy one part of a person's life forever, but people were more than just one thing. Immortality? Great, how will you spend that infinite time? Infinite wealth? What are you going to spend it on? The perfect boyfriend? Cool, but there is still every single other relationship and life in general that you have to deal with.

The game on the other hand _was_ life, at least, it was as long as Goku stuck around. Wanna live forever? Vitality might help with that a little. Need cash? With enough Charisma and Intelligence you should be able to get your hands on anything you want. The perfect boyfriend? Well, it might take some time but…

Bulma blushed and shook her head violently to dismiss such thoughts. 'Am I really thinking about turning Goku into the perfect boyfriend? The intelligence thing is a serious problem. Not to mention the fact that he's a pretty free spirit, he's only with me right now because I told him that he should be and he listened.'

Bulma sighed.

'Am I really going to use my wish to heal him? Even if I do all that does it make it easier for me to teach him things… and makes him capable of romantic love.' Bulma laughed out loud. 'Imagine him never getting over it! Wow, he'd never get married.'

'Seriously, what is the cost? I wish for Goku to be cured, he gets smarter and becomes more aware of life, and maybe he decides he doesn't like me. He's only with me right now because he's that stupid. On the other hand I could just string him along with me for the rest of our lives. There is no way I'm going to train things like Manabolt without Goku there to be a bodyguard. I'll die. You know what? Fuck it! This is a problem for future Bulma.'

Goku on the other hand barely thought of anything the entire time, but one thought did cross his mind. 'Why is learning so hard?'

His thoughts on the matter were much more straightforward than Bulma's quandaries. He hated how all of Bulma's lessons practically made his head hurt, but he understood that he needed to know these things. So he just pretended that it was like training… but for his brain.

Eventually the duo reached a small town, but when they entered there were no locals to be found.

"Where is everybody? It's like a ghost town!" Bulma observed.

"No…" Goku countered. "I can _sense_ them."

"Oh? I guess it's that **Ki Sense** skill at work. Well… HELLO! ANYBODY HOME!" she yelled.

But not a single person responded, in fact, all the dup could hear was the wind as it blew through the town.

"Imma check this out." Goku said as he hopped off his Flying Nimbus. He then walked up to a random house and knocked. "Hey! I know you're in there. Why don'tja answer?

"Door must be locked."

"Oh yeah!" Goku proceeded to punch a hole through said door and ripped it open.

Bulma shook her head in disbelief. "Not afraid of much, are you?"

Before Goku could respond a shadow leapt from within the building, screaming at the top of its lungs.

"Wha-"

An axe came down on Goku's head with great force… and shattered.

**You have taken 10 damage.**

"Owowowowowowowowow!" Goku whined as he rubbed his head.

Meanwhile Bulma took in the attacker. It was a middle aged man wearing overalls and a long sleeve flannel with sturdy work shoes on his feet and large classes on his face. He was balding on his scalp, but made up for it with massive tufts of hair coming up from the side of his head and a large chevron mustache.

**Kazuo Shintani Lvl: 1**

Kazuo dropped the broken axe in horror. "No… it- it didn't work!"

"What was that for?" Goku asked, still holding his head.

The man immediately cowered and placed his hands in front of him as one would when praying. "F-f-forgive me Lord Oolong! I'll give you anything! Food! Money! Please spare my daughter!"

The tension was thick with fear before Goku broke it.

"…huh?"

"Oo-long?" Bulma asked.

Apparently many heard their confused response and immediately the people of the village started spilling out of their homes.

"Y'mean it wasn't Oolong? Thank goodness." One man said.

"I thought it was weird of him to be showin' up this early." Another villager added.

The farmer let Goku and Bulma into his house and his daughter tended to Goku's head lump.

"S-sorry about that, young fella!" He apologized while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I just figured Oolong was taking a boy's form. Heh heh heh…"

"If that had been me I might be dead right now." Bulma chastised, which was debatable given her access to the game, but from Bulma's observations the Vitality attribute had a passive effect of making one's skin and bones denser and harder hence making it more difficult to take damage in a natural sort of way. As such her skull still would have been split open before she quickly bled out.

Kazuo whipped his head around to face her. "L-lucky it wasn't, eh? Heh heh heh…" His short stature made him seem even more pathetic in Bulma's eyes.

Meanwhile, Goku gave the girl who had helped him an odd look. He then proceeded to pat on her groin.

"EEEK!" The poor, violated girl screamed.

Goku was all smiles though, "I get it! You're a girl!" He said as if he had made the greatest discovery of all time.

Bulma stepped him and gave Goku a good thwack on the head. Unfortunately, her Strength was so low it didn't even register as damage.

"Now what?"

"No, pat-pat!" Bulma whisper-screamed, equal parts horrified and furious.

The teen really needed to give the boy more practical life lessons if he thought slapping a girl in the pussy was the way to find out whether or not they were female. She then turned to the farmer who was now shielding his daughter from the molester.

"Anyway, who's this Oolong that you guys are so freaked out about?"

"Oolong?" Kazuo shivered at the name. "He is a horrible demon who haunts our land… A vile shape-shifter whose true form no one has ever seen! Yesterday he came to our village-"

The world became a little hazy and a screen appeared in front of Goku and Bulma.

**You have entered a Flashback.**

Now they were in the center of town. The farmer held his daughter in the same exact way he was before the flashback started. In front of him was a massive creature just as big as the bandit they had run into a few days prior.

It was definitely a demon. He was as wide as three men and wore only an animal skin loincloth, shoes, and black wrist guards. A great mace that was as tall as the demon who owned it and whose head was as large as the farmer was held by the demon's left hand with its head resting on the ground.

He had a large head with a mouth full of pointed teeth, a pig-like nose, a pencil mustache, evil, squinty eyes. The demon had short, messy hair and two large horns stuck straight out from it's scalp.

For Bulma the sight was truly terrifying. Before Goku could say anything they heard the disembodied voice of the farmer.

"-and his eyes fell upon my daughter."

The demon spoke in a deep and loud voice, "Woo-hah! She's a KEW-TEE! I'm gonna marry her! I'll be back next week at noon to pick her up, so harv her ready!"

The demon began to walk away from the village, but then stopped.

"Oh, and don't try to resist or run away. If ya' do that I'll have to kill and eat all of ya'." Oolong punctuated his statement by swinging his mighty axe onto the ground leaving a small crater. "Remember that." was his final words before transforming into a dragon and flying away.

The world once again grew fuzzy and the duo found themselves exactly where they had been standing before the flashback.

**The Flashback has ended and time has resumed its normal course.**

"He is a fiend who's already kidnapped other village girls… to do with them who-knows-what!"

"Why don't you just beat him up?" Goku asked.

"Are you kidding? He's _huge_!

Bulma had a brainstorm. "Wa~ait a minute." She then rifled through her backpack and pulled out a Dragon Ball. "Hey mister, you ever seen one of these?"

"Eh? Hmm… nope. Nope, never seen anything like it." Kazuo answered.

"WAIT!" an old woman screamed from outside of the farmer's house. The door had been left open so that all of the villagers could see the strangers. "I've got one just like it!"

"BINGO!" Bulma cheered.

"You do?" Kazuo asked in wonder.

Bulma and Goku rushed out of the house as the old woman pulled a Dragon Ball out of her apron.

"A long time ago my old granny picked it up from somewhere." she explained. "Is this it?"

"Yup, that's it!" Bulma confirmed.

"Four… five… six! It's the "Liushinchuu"!" Goku confirmed the exact ball while getting some counting practice in.

"Ma'am, if you'll give me that ball… I'll take care of this guy Oolong for you!"

The old woman fixed Bulma with an odd look. "Well, it's a lovely offer of course, but… but do you think it's a job for a school girl?"

"Ohhhh no, I'm not the one who's going to fight him." Bulma gestured to Goku. "He's the-"

At least, that's where Goku was supposed to be. During her conversation Goku had walked up to the old woman and interrupted by giving the old woman a "pat-pat."

"Hey! You're a girl too!" Goku said as he pointed at the old woman. He was really learning a lot today.

She blushed in a sort of flattered embarrassment. "Ohhh, sonny!"

Bulma blew a gasket. "I SAID NO "PAT-PAT"!"

Kazuo ignored the outrageous situation and continued the conversation. "If you're serious about this we could show you where his lair is… but many strong young men from our village and others have tried to defeat him and save the girls. None have returned."

"Eh, not a big deal. I've got a great plan-"

**[Quest Alert]**

**Slay the Mighty Demon Oolong!**

**Description: The people of the region have been terrorized by a shapeshifting demon called Oolong for the past few months. In exchange for a dragon ball they have asked you to defeat the mighty demon and free their daughters.**

**Objectives: Defeat Oolong, Save Captives, ?**

**Bonus Objectives: ?**

**Quest Completion Rewards: +2 to Vit and Wis, ?, ?, ?**

**Bonus Rewards: ?, ?**

**Quest Failure: Failure to complete Quest [Hunt for the Dragon Balls], Death**

**Accept?**

**[Y/N]**

'Well fuck my plan I guess. Sheesh.' Bulma complained but nevertheless accepted the quest. "Ugh…. show us the way."

Upon accepting the quest the crowd burst into jubilation as they cheered and thanked the strangers. The atmosphere lifted Bulma's mood a little bit, but she was still mad her easy plan had been thwarted.

~GG~

**AN: Phew, actually this came out really easily. I've just been reading ELLC almost obsessively for the past few days trying to get caught up. Also college. And slightly DBZ: Kakarot… god, I've never hated a Dragon Ball game more.**

**So all that happened, like I said, info dumb and a lead in into the next chapter. This next chapter is where things will start changing in drastic ways. For the sake of enjoying the game system and what the means in an already established world I'm going to be checking out Dragon Ball filler and including it. The perfect time will be the three years between Red Ribbon and the 22nd WMAT.**

**The movies are another angle, but they are super weird. The first one is a retelling of the first arc… on drugs. They basically just scramble everything up and it's pretty weird. Go read the summary of it on the DBZ Wiki for details. Long story short, it's already a played out narrative and I don't want to include it.**

**The third movie is again a weird ass retelling of the Red Ribbon Army arc with Chiaotzu as the emperor of a nation and the bad guy instead of Commander Red.**

**The fourth movie is actually the seventeenth movie and is just a Dragonball OVA.**

**The second movie is where it is AT! I'll be taking elements of it and know that it will affect things from now until the end baby. I plan to do a whole thing with it, but only by the merit that it exists. I'm just taking the ideas it presents and how it connects to other Dragon Ball stuff.**

**BTW, they're barely movies. They're just hour long features, commercials included.**

**I'm excited. This was already my plan, I'm not changing my plan, it just feels better to know that I'll be getting there faster.**

**So, tell me what you think. I don't know if there is a lot to comment on here, the next chapter I expect questions though. Either way, leave a thoughtful review.**

**Thx ;)**


	3. Dungeoneering for n00bs

**AN: I didn't jump right into it with this one, but that's fine. I've said this before in other stories, but I really like taking some time to read reviews and see if there are concerns that warrant AN responses or critiques that genuinely can impact the story. It has happened. I always say leave a thoughtful review at the end because responding to reviews is where I get really awesome brainstorming sessions done super randomly. In fact, I wrote, Sokka's Trials, Pokemon Gamer, and One Piece New Game Plus due to brainstorming sessions alone. Maybe not One Piece, but you see what I mean.**

**Anyway, this will be a sort of "make it or break it chapter" for people. This will be the start of big changes to Dragon Ball world as a whole and while you shouldn't expect Freeza to be a good guy because of it, things will change for sure. It's also the start of my Dragon Ball world building. I've had to do a lot of Kaizenshu reading to see what's already established.**

**This chapter is great because similar to what I did with Kumodoshi originally I'm turning like… two pages of the manga into at least one, possibly two or three chapters. I love it.**

**So let's get to it.**

~GG~

Chapter 3: Dungeoneering for n00bs

At first Bulma had been annoyed at the villagers' direction of "thataway" as their instruction to find this Oolong's place of residence, but with eyes in the sky things were not that bad.

"Do you see anything Goku?" The teen asked after an hour of driving.

"Maybe?" He answered after flying closer to her.

During their long trip to the six star ball Bulma had learned that Goku's sense of hearing was also superhuman. Despite traveling at speeds around 100 miles per hour and being well over 100 yards away from each other Goku could hear her talk at a normal voice level.

"I saw a thing between two little mountains. There was a, uh… gate? And a big space and then there was a big house! Oh, and there were a whole lotta stairs going up to it."

'Gate, space, lots of stairs, and a big house?' "Does this guy live in a mansion? Hardly seems like an evil lair."

"Man-shun?"

"It's a really big house for rich people."

"Oh."

The duo arrived at the stairs half an hour later.

"Jeez… those are a lot of stairs… Goku, let me ride on the Flying Nimbus!"

"No way! The turtle guy said you gotta be pure of heart."

"WHAT? What the hell Goku? Of course I'm pure of heart. I can't believe you would even suggest such a thing."

"…Okay." Goku acquiesced before coming to a hover in front of Bulma.

Bulma gave a derisive huff before jumping onto the Flying Nimbus… and promptly falling through as if nothing was there.

"Oww!" Bulma cried painfully as she slammed into the ground. "But- why! Why! WHY!" she begged the empty sky.

Then a screen appeared in front of her.

**Karmic Alignment**

The screen had a square and a word at each of the cardinal directions outside of it. Good and Evil were at north and south respectively while Chaos and Order were at east and west respectively. The square was filled with a simple grid and Bulma could see a small glowing dot on it. Unfortunately for her the dot was not far from the center and it leaned toward Good and Order, but only slightly.

"Seriously? What the hell? Shove it in my face why don't you?"

"See, I told you."

"Whatever, but not I'm curious. Goku, pull up the Karmic Alignment page just like all of the others."

"Okay, Karmic Alignment."

Bulma dismissed her screen before checking out Goku's and it was immediately obvious that she was nowhere close to being able to ride the Flying Nimbus. Goku's dot was only two grid points away from the word Good!

"Huh… got a little chaos in you, eh, Goku?"

Goku shrugged, "I guess?"

"Let's just get moving, I guess I can walk…"

Bulma's complaints were of course unfounded. The stairs were not far outside her abilities, but she was still slightly winded when she finally made it to the top.

'Kami above, uhh thank you? Guess I should stop saying that, huh?' Bulma pondered that idea for a moment before moving on. 'Thank you Kami for the few Strength and Vitality points that I've gotten, this would have been so much worse without them.' her eyes then found the boy floating on a magical little cloud. "Couldn't walk with me?"

"Why?"

Bulma sighed, "Yeah, you're right. But didn't your grandpa tell you to treat girls nice?"

"He did."

"So you should have kept me company!"

"Oh… sorry?"

"Just remember that for next time."

"Sure."

"You're really not much of a conversationalist."

"A convo-what now?"

"Nevermind."

Bulma looked at the looming gate in front of them. It was easily four meters tall and looked surprisingly well kept.

'Those "donations" from the locals must have really kept this guy comfortable, but then who's working on it for him? Questions for later.'

"Let's go Goku!"

"Finally!"

As the human and saiyan walked through the gate and into the large courtyard a large screen appeared in front of them.

**You have entered the dungeon: Oolong's Lair!**

**Quest Update!**

**Slay the Mighty Demon Oolong!**

**Description: The people of the region have been terrorized by a shapeshifting demon called Oolong for the past few months. In exchange for a dragon ball they have asked you to defeat the mighty demon and free their daughters.**

**New Description: This quest will not be easy. You have discovered the fact that Oolong's home is in fact a dungeon. The enemies you may face are numerous and unknown. Fight your way through and clear the dungeon to complete the quest!**

**Objectives: Defeat Oolong, Save Captives, ?**

**New Objective: Clear the Dungeon, ?**

**Bonus Objectives: ?**

**New Bonus Objectives: ?, ?, ?**

**Quest Completion Rewards: +2 to Vit and Wis, ?, ?, ?**

**Bonus Rewards: ?, ?**

**New Bonus Rewards: ?, ?, ?**

**Quest Failure: Failure to complete Quest [Hunt for the Dragon Balls], Death**

After reading it all the way through and taking time to try to explain it to Goku, Bulma asked the question that had been nagging her for a while now.

"What the hell's a dungeon?"

**Dungeons**

**Dungeons are unique areas where the laws that govern nature are warped and twisted. There are many two types of dungeons: Traditional Dungeons, which are labyrinths filled with all manner of rooms, traps, and monsters and often are made up of multiple floors, and Field Dungeons, which are open areas. Dungeons are often places where evil can fester and they are always dangerous, this is offset by the potential for reward. Dungeons draw people in by having loot that you may want and the greater the danger, the greater the loot.**

"I kinda get it… but I have a feeling that there's a lot more to it than just this. But it's better than nothing."

Upon dismissing the new screen Bulma took in the courtyard and saw the first monsters she and Goku would have to deal with.

The courtyard was quite large and dotted by small groves full of lush grass and bushes as well as small ponds. The paths were made with smooth gravel and Bulma saw several small bridges. A few babbling brooks crisscrossed the courtyard, hence the bridges, connecting the ponds and giving the courtyard a very natural, zen-like aura. It was beautiful. The monsters within were not.

Crawling out of the various ponds and brooks Bulma held in a screen as she came face to face with mythical monsters: Kappas. They were disgusting little green things coming up to her chest at the tallest. Their bald, bowl shaped heads held black water and the bowl haircut surrounding them was hardly flattering. Their beaks made Bulma the most uncomfortable though, they seemed quite strong and perfect for breaking bones.

"Ugh… Goku-"

Bulma had turned to Goku in order to make some sort of plan of attack, but the boy had already jumped off of the Flying Nimbus and began running toward the closest kappa.

"…That idiot."

Her plan was to let Goku be the vanguard and for herself to be ranged support. It was extremely simple which made sense since there were only two of them, but it would have been nice for Goku to be aware of it. His gleeful disregard for planning was only a minor inconvenience, Bulma just had to make sure she was positioning herself so that Goku was always in between herself and a kappa. A task easier said than done as there were ten of them.

Two kappa were close enough to engage, Goku had ran after the one on their right which left the one that was straight ahead. Bulma ran away from the free kappa and behind Goku, but while doing so she used **Observe**.

**Name: Bob**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Kappa)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 100/100**

**MP: 250/250 **

**KP: 60/60**

**Stats**

**Str: 15**

**Vit: 20**

**Agi: 15**

**Int: 50**

**Wis: 30**

**Luk: 5**

'So they're pretty weak… even if they're physically stronger than me it'll only take half a clip from my Uzi to take one down!'

Upon realizing how weak they were Bulma looked at Goku's battle to inform him of what she had discovered. She was equal parts horrified and amazed when she saw that the kappa he had been fighting was on the floor with a huge dent in its head and was starting to dissolve.

"Hey Bulma! These guys are super weak!" Goku practically gloated before rushing at the nearest enemy.

Unfortunately that enemy was further away from Bulma leaving her to deal with the rapidly approaching demon on her own.

'Here goes nothing.'

Bulma sent out a **Manabolt **as she unclipped her uzi from her belt. Her manabolt missed the target, but Bob needed to slow down in order to dodge it. He was unable to avoid the barrage of bullets that ended his life.

"Wow… not tough at all. I hoped for more honestly."

Despite her bravado the altercation had made it very clear that Bulma's aim was not great. She had missed with her magical attack and half of her bullets. She had used an entire clip to kill what was a pretty weak enemy and that was unacceptable.

'I need to relax, I need to get my head in the game.' she told herself.

Bulma had never been in a combat situation, she had rarely ever had her life endangered at all until this trip. Her dad made her bring the gun and get some practice with it, but she had not thought it would be necessary.

Bulma was scared and it was starting to cost her her resources.

Goku meanwhile killed three more kappa.

She saw this. 'I know I just want to use him as a bodyguard, and he's doing a great job. If I wanted to I could just sit back and do nothing… but I won't be useless.'

Steeling her resolve Bulma turned to face the nearest kappa only to find that none of them were concentrated on her. The remaining five kappa had regrouped and bum rushed Goku as a single unit while flinging balls of water that Bulma had not seen before; they were clearly hoping to overwhelm him with numbers. She knew he would be fine, but the teen had decided to help, so she would.

Quickly reloading her gun Bulma unloaded into the easy targets that had made the mistake of ignoring her. This messed with their formation but before they could respond in any way Goku swept in to clean up. Not wanting to hit her little companion Bulma casted several **Manabolt**s at the kappa furthest away from him. The disoriented kappa could not recover and were slain in seconds.

"Well… that was easy." Goku said.

"Ehh, better easy than dangerous."

"For you maybe, I didn't even get a level in anything!"

"Hey, I didn't either. Let's just keep going-"

Bulma stopped herself mid sentence when she realized something. The kappa had left items behind!

"Ohoho, Goku look! They dropped stuff when they died!"

"Huh, guess so. Nothing looks good though."

"You never know. Here, I've got an empty hoi-poi capsule. Gather everything up in a pile as fast as you can."

"Why I gotta do it?"

"'Cuz you're the one with the super fast magic cloud! Now hurry up!"

"Fine."

Bulma was right of course, Goku's speed on the Flying Nimbus was unparalleled and allowed him to gather everything up in minutes.

"Ahah! They dropped zeni too." Bulma said as she seperated the zeni from the pile and put it into her backpack. "Besides that there are their shells and a few cups worth of that weird black water… **Observe**."

**Kappa Shell**

**Description: A kappa's shell is a rare and magical item used in many potions and rituals. It is also hard enough to be used as a shield, though it is very crude.**

**Type: Material**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: 10**

**Defense: -50 physical damage, -30 magical damage **

**Durability: 50/50**

**Enhancements: Minor Water Magic Buff**

**Demon Water**

**Description: This water was taken from the heads of kappas, but it can be found in many demons. It is very useful in various potions and rituals.**

**Type: Material**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 10/10**

**Enhancements: N/A**

"Can't really use this for anything. Goku, you wanna use a kappa shell as a shield?"

"A shield?"

"It's for protecting yourself, you use it to block attacks."

"Nah, sounds boring."

"That's fine."

Bulma put the items into her capsule and gave the courtyard one last look.

"I have a feeling that the inside won't be nearly as nice."

The two entered the mansion proper, but the opulence continued. The floor was white marble and red pillars pillars stretched to the ceiling. Ornate vases and painting could be seen dotting the sides and walls screaming of opulence. Bulma did not have long to appreciate the splendor before they were beset by more enemies.

Bulma bit down a groan when Goku once again leapt into battle before she could say anything to him. Then she used **Observe**.

**Name: Jeff**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Ogre)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 350/350**

**MP: 50/50**

**KP: 85/85**

**Stats**

**Str: 70**

**Vit: 70**

**Agi: 40**

**Int: 10**

**Wis: 5**

**Luk: 5**

'Tanky bastards unlike those kappa.' There were only two ogres, that looked very similar to that Oolong guy, that Bulma could see. 'There's probably more somewhere, but not anywhere close.'

The hallway they were walking through was not large enough to facilitate combat. The two ogres were standing shoulder to shoulder and nearly filled up the entire space which was about ten feet wide. They were large demons, easily eight feet tall and four feet across at the shoulders, and they held extremely crude clubs in their hands. One swing was probably enough to kill Bulma, but she did not have to worry about that.

Goku was fighting them both at the same time.

He used his Flying Nimbus to offset the massive height advantage the two brutes had on him and had extended his pole to eight feet. He was taking small amounts of damage from the attacks he blocked, but Bulma was impressed by the fact that the two demons working together had yet to land a clean blow on him. Goku on the other hand had brought the one on the left down to half health.

Bulma was not going to sit on the sidelines, she got down on one knee and started taking careful shots at the ogres' legs. She was hoping to take out the weaker one, while also distracting them.

**You have dealt 72 piercing damage**

'Hmm, he must have something that is reducing damage.'

Before Bulma could think on the topic anymore Goku landed a **Janken: Rock** on the weaker ogre, killing it. He had committed to the blow knowing it would kill which left him open to an attack from the other ogre.

Bulma blanched in surprise as Goku took a whopping ninety blunt damage from the attack. He was then sent flying past her making her the ogre's new target.

Panicking Bulma started doing something she probably should not have: she one handed her uzi and started frantically casting **Manabolt** from the other hand all while backing away from the incoming enemy.

**You have dealt 90 piercing damage.**

**You have dealt 18 magic damage**

This enraged the ogre as it had marked Bulma as easy prey and had decided to slowly walk up to her in an act of intimidation. He was not prepared for the 108 damage that he had received and thus decided he could not act so haughtily with her. He started running at her and Bulma abandoned her attacks for a full out sprint.

Goku had already recovered, but had been curious as to what Bulma was doing.

'Huh, so she's not useless in a fight.'

When the ogre got serious he sprang into action by extending the Power Pole into the ogre's knee.

**You have dealt 169 piercing damage**

**The enemy is crippled**

**The enemy is stunned**

**The enemy is bleeding**

The pole had pierced clean through the demon's knee and with a mighty tug Goku severed the appendage. The demon toppled over while howling in pain before expiring a few seconds later.

**[Staff Mastery] has leveled up**

**Staff Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of staff type weapons.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 3**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by staff type weapons by 6%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Str, Agi, and Dex**

"Nice." Bulma's lessons had paid off enough that he fully understood the information in front of him.

"Thanks Goku… and congrats on the skill level." Bulma offered awkwardly.

She realized at that moment that she had not been treating Goku all that well. Even though he saved her from the pterodactyl, even though she would not have been able to fight that bear bandit on her own, even though she probably would not have found that dragonball from the old man, even though that villager would have killed her, and most of all, even though she was able to experience this"game" because of him, she had not appreciated him.

Goku was… a tool. A big, heavy weapon for her to aim at her foes. He was dumb as a brick, prossibly dumber, and that was why she had not been treating him right. His sheer stupidity and ignorance had led her to treat him as less than… and it was starting to bother her.

Bulma had seen an easy opportunity to manipulate someone and she had taken it. It's obvious why she could not ride the Flying Nimbus and she hated it.

Even now as she congratulated him she realized that she did not know anything about him nor had she cared to learn. That is why it was awkward and Bulma was going to change that.

"Thanks?"

"No, really Goku, that was amazing and thank you for saving my life. That ogre guy would have caught up with me and I probably would have died, for the fourth time since we've met."

"You're welcome?"

"You're making this hard Goku." Bulma complained as her sincerity was met with a solid was of incomprehension. "Let's keep moving, there's probably more of those guys. OH!"

Goku startled, "What?"

"We need to strategize a bit okay? In general, when we fight, I want you in front fighting the enemies while I sit back and shoot at them with either my gun or my magic."

"Well… duh."

"…Thanks Goku. I just wanted it to be said out loud, okay? Sheesh. Don't worry about finishing someone off like what happened, I don't want you taking too much damage as the front line okay? Just let me finish them off and stay safe."

"...I guess."

"Alright, let's keep moving."

~GG~

Their first encounter with the ogres set a solid precedence. On only one occasion did Goku and Bulma run into three ogres and that situation was handled as easily as the others.

With Goku acting as the shield and occasional sword and Bulma being the main attacker progress was slow, but safe. Goku never dipped below half health the entire time.

The ogres' drops were okay, Bulma really could not care for it as none of it suited her.

**Ogre Loincloth**

**Description: A crude loincloth made of animal leather that belonged to an ogre. It smells.**

**Type: Clothes**

**Quality: Uncommon**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 10/10**

**Enhancements: N/A**

**Ogre Mace**

**Description: A simple wooden weapon used by ogres. All ogres can naturally summon one and they grow in strength as they do.**

**Type: Weapon**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: Str + 20**

**Defense: -50 physical damage**

**Durability: 40/40**

**Enhancements: N/A**

**Ogre Horn**

**Description: The horn of an ogre. Useful in various potions and rituals.**

**Type: Material**

**Quality: Unique**

**Damage: 10 physical**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 10/10**

**Enhancements: N/A**

The loincloth was literal garbage and Bulma had not bothered to store it which was made worse by the fact that every ogre dropped them, the maces were okay, but not good enough for Goku, Bulma planned on using their wood to do something, and finally the single ogre horn. Out of the thirty ogres they had slain they had only gotten a single horn. It's rareness was the only reason Bulma was hanging onto them, but like the Demon Water she honestly did not know how she was going to use them.

Zeni was a given and it was starting to annoy Bulma. They were being dropped in their lowest denomination and there was so much that she needed to use another empty capsule to store them. She was starting to wonder if she should even bother, after all most of the bills in her wallet were worth more than everything she had picked up.

Rooms were the big discovery for the duo and their first encounter had been quite harrowing.

Bulma and Goku had just defeated their fourth pair of ogres when they passed by a door. By then the opulence of the hallways had worn off and Bulma was excited to see something different.

"Let's check it out!" Bulma excitedly shouted before entering the room.

That had been a mistake.

The first foot she planted in the room found no purchase as the tile gave way to a yawning abyss of darkness. Bulma lost her footing and started screaming as she fell, luckily Goku had been right behind her and caught her before she was lost to the pit.

"Okay, be careful in the rooms." A shaken Bulma noted as she looked around the room she was going to enter.

It was empty.

In the next room they encountered Goku extended his staff and used it to prod pretty much everything inside. He activated two traps: another pitfall and some spikes that came out from a wall. The room only held a small bookshelf within, but it was something.

"Ooh!" Bulma exclaimed, hoping to gain knowledge. "Oh…" she quickly followed up with as she discovered all of the "books" were actually porno mags.

"What is it?" Goku asked.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing! In fact-" Bulma then set the bookcase on fire with a lighter and smiled as it went up in flames. "-it's garbage."

"Okay then…"

Ten rooms later they had found only one item of use.

**Basic Scrying Orb**

**Description: An orb that can be used to see distant things. They can even be used to see the future or the past! Not this one though. It is a single use for scrying an object or person from a maximum of 10 kilometers away.**

**Type: Magic Tool**

**Quality: Uncommon**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: N/A**

**Enhancements: N/A**

"We can use it for… something I'm sure… wait! I can use this to find a dragon ball we can't find. Hell yeah!"

"That's cool."

"Yes it is Goku."

After about two hours of wandering the shimmering halls of Oolong's lair the duo were sure they had completely emptied the floor of both enemies and items.

Their final achievements were that Goku had gained a skill, and Bulma had gotten a level for both **Manabolt** and **Handgun Mastery**.

**Toughness**

**Description: You are a stout being, one that can take many hits in the heat of battle. Now you can take a few more.**

**Requirements: 40 Vit**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Reduces physical damage taken by 1%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Str and Vit**

**Manabolt**

**Description: A simple spell that teaches people the basics of magic. Very weak.**

**Requirements: Int: 20**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Projectile**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: 10 MP**

**Range: 11 ft (3 m)**

**Damage: 15**

**Effects: N/A**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis**

**By achieving a level of magic purely by your own efforts you have gained the skill [Raw Magic Mastery]**

**Raw Magic Mastery**

**Description: Raw Magic, or elementalless magic, is the purest form of magical manipulation. Mastery of this type of magic opens the way for many spells.**

**Requirements: Gain a level on a raw magic spell on your own**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by raw magic spells by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis and Mnt **

**Submachine Gun Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of all types of Submachine Guns.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 2**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by SMG type weapons by 4%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Agi, Dex, and Per**

They then went to an ornate door the Bulma had urged Goku to ignore, even she could recognize a boss room and knew to save it for last.

The door was out of place in the marble tiled halls of the mansion. It was huge, almost as tall as the gate outside, and it was made of stone. There was only a single carving of an ogre on it and it was different from the others they had fought previously. Its horns were bigger and curved, the mace it wielded had spikes on it, and it seemed to be wearing a full set of leather armor.

"That's probably the boss, but it's not Oolong. This dungeon must have multiple floors."

"Good, because all of these guys are wimps."

Bulma rolled her eyes before moving forward and opening the huge doors.

"Huh, that opened pretty eas-."

Bulma was interrupted by a screen appearing.

**Congratulations! You have cleared the secret requirement [Defeat All Enemies]**

**As such the boss has been mutated! It is now [Giant]**

"Wait… doesn't that mean he now has four times the health he would normally have? Damn it."

Hearing a challenge Goku flew into the boss very excited by the fight to come. Bulma trudged along after him and took in the room. It was very simple. It was a circular dome made entirely of stone with a diameter of about 20 meters, definitely roomy. It was entirely featureless save for a door situated behind a humongous ogre.

Upon seeing their enemy in all of his massive glory Bulma put on her game face and used **Observe**.

**Name: Nekurk**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Ogre) (Giant)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 1,600/1,600**

**MP: 125/125**

**KP: 100/100**

**Stats**

**Str: 80**

**Vit: 80**

**Agi: 40**

**Int: 25**

**Wis: 10**

**Luk: 5**

'That's a lot of health. Stupid too since he had less Vitality than Goku, but I guess size really matters.'

The boss looked like it was going to give a speech, but Goku started attacking him before he could even get a word out.

**You have dealt 122 Blunt Damage**

Was the screen Goku saw. 'That's not as much damage as I wanted.' he thought to himself before backing off.

The now angry ogre then did exactly what Bulma had been hoping that he would not do in retaliation, he used magic.

"**Flame**!" Yelled Nekurk, his deep voice sending vibrations through Bulma's bones.

The spell sent a huge gout of flames in a cone-like shape from the ogre's mouth, but Goku was able to dodge easily and attacked with an upwards swipe to the ogre's jaw.

**You have dealt 122 Blunt Damage**

His attack prematurely ended the boss' attack and seemed to burn his mouth as he took another twenty points of damage.

**Nekurk Lvl. 2**

**HP: 1,367/1,600**

**MP: 85/125**

**KP: 100/100**

"Wy wouth!" The boss screamed in anger before swinging his huge mace at Goku who almost lazily avoided it.

"You're slow."

"'Uck you!"

The interaction soothed all of Bulma's worries instantly. Goku was going to run circles around this guy just like he did to every enemy so far. She had free reign to pepper on whatever damage she could so that the fight could end quicker.

**You have dealt 120 piercing damage**

**You have dealt 27 magical damage**

It was not much, and unlike their previous fights the boss did not acknowledge her in the slightest, but it was better than nothing.

Goku continued his assault by flying away, but extending the Power Pole and hitting the boss' right hand.

**You have dealt 122 blunt damage**

His attack threw the boss' swing way off sending the head of his mace into the ground. The impact shook the arena they were in and Bulma nearly dropped her mag.

"You witch, get 'own here! So I 'an 'ill you!"

"Okay." Hoping for some fun Goku hopped off his cloud and put the Power Pole onto his back.

"Goku! What are you doing? Bulma screamed as she attacked with her second volley.

"I wanna punch this guy myself, It's too easy if I fly and use the Power Pole."

"That's crazy!"

"Ehh," Goku hopped to the left in order to avoid Nekurk's mace. "It's better than being bored."

Bulma worked through the brain aneurysm Goku threatened to give her and concentrated on reloading her gun for the second time.

Goku meanwhile used a **Janken: Rock** on the boss' right knee.

**You have dealt 79 blunt damage**

He then dodge the kick the boss tried to use on him and used another **Janken: Rock **on the back of the boss' same knee which unbalanced the boss enough to send him falling onto his back.

**You have dealt 79 blunt damage**

Goku, being a godless monster, then proceeded to unleash a fury of **Janken: Rock**s onto the boss' genitalia. He got five off before Nekurk retaliated with a desperate mace swing.

**Critical!**

**You have dealt 950 blunt damage**

The boss was hanging on with the tiniest sliver of health at that point because his fall had caused Bulma to miss her volley of attacks and his health regeneration was pretty good.

**Nekurk Lvl. 2**

**HP: 32/1,600**

**MP: 85/125**

**KP: 100/100**

In his desperation to stop Goku from mutilating his balls he miscalculated his swing and once again underestimated his aggressor's speed.

**Critical!**

**You have dealt 120 damage to yourself**

**You commited suicide?**

Goku and Bulma watched in awe as the boss killed himself with an attack to his balls and slowly faded away.

Silence reigned for several moments before Goku checked out the boss' drop.

"Hey Bulma, check this out!" He yelled which was able to shake Bulma from her stupor.

The small boy was holding up a set of leather armor that looked exactly like the one the boss wore, only this set was much smaller. Curious, Bulma used **Observe**.

**Nekurk's Leather Armor**

**Description: Leather armor worn by the ogre boss Nekurk. It is not much different from normal leather armor, but it can change its shape to fit its wearer.**

**Type: Light Armor**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: 20% physical damage reduction**

**Durability: 100/100**

**Enhancements: Perfect Fit**

"Goku! You can wear this armor!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll shrink to fit you."

"But don't you wanna wear it?

"Ahahah, no."

Bulma could smell the armor and did not like the scent one bit. It was better than the loincloths, but still not something she would voluntarily put on her body even if she needed it. Goku obviously would not mind and getting him some armor would be great.

"Your loss." Goku said before stripping out of his gi and throwing on the armor. "Oh! It really does fit!" he then ran around a bit and threw a few punches and kicks. "It feels great too, like I'm still wearing my gi!"

"Great! Now what else did he drop?"

There was a large pile of zeni, once again small currency to Bulma's annoyance, the boss' mace, the boss' horns, and most importantly, a spell book!

"Did we get all of his drops?"

**For having such a spectacular boss fight while also fulfilling the special requirements and of course that hilarious ending you have been granted all of the boss' drops.**

"Oh… awesome! We really gotta do that more then."

The boss' mace and horns were just higher quality versions of the normal ogres' maces and horns, but the spell book was exactly what she had been hoping it would be: **Flame**!

Bulma quickly stored the rest of the money and items and asked Goku, "Hey, is it okay if we take a break to eat or something so that I can learn this spell?"

"Yeah! I'm super hungry right now anyways." Goku went to the boss room door but was shocked to find that it would not open.

"That's fine Goku, I have a lot of snacks with me. You can have those."

"Thanks Bulma!"

"No problem kid. Now let's see here."

Goku ate all of Bulma's rations within ten minutes and while it annoyed the girl she had more than enough cash to cover it. Even so, she did not feel bad about making him wait another half hour as she read the spell book and learned **Flame**.

**Congratulations! You have learned the spell [Flame]**

**Flame**

**Description: A strong gout of flame that can be cast from either the user's hand or mouth. It is one of the most basic fire magic spells that exist.**

**Requirements: 20 Int**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Sustained Projectile**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: 10 MP per second**

**Range: 3 feet**

**Damage: 10 fire damage per second**

**Effects: Can inflict burn upon enemies**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Vit and Mnt**

"Hmm, so fire magic means Vitality instead of Wisdom? I guess that kind of makes sense, you've gotta be a little dumb to lay with fire after all. I wonder what other kinds of magic there are?"

No screen appeared.

"Oh, whatever. You're really wishy washy you now that?" Bulma dismissed the screen and tried to cast the spell. "**Flare**!"

A gout of flame similar to the one Nekurk had spat out earlier burst from Bulma's outstretched hand. She maintained the spell for four seconds before dismissing it. Her massive mana pool of 605 could take it easily, but her regeneration was just not up to par.

"I really need to get a skill that emphasizes Wisdom. Oh well. Hey, Goku! Let's get a move on." she called out to the boy who had been lazily floating around on his cloud.

"Thank Kami, I almost fell asleep."

"Wherever, ready to go to the next floor?"

Upon defeating the boss the door behind him had opened revealing a staircase and nothing else.

"I can't wait."

~GG~

**AN: Hot damn! This came out so easily man. It probably needs some touch ups, but I'm too tired to do that now. Besides I plan on adding a couple small details to all three chapters so everything will get small edits. In particular I plan on adding the regeneration next to the pool it belongs to on the character sheet. I also was a total bum and forgot Bulma's Genius perk, so all of her stats have been adjusted.**

**I also have regeneration be by the second so if HP or MP seem inconsistent it's actually me timing the fights in my head and increasing the HP or MP accordingly.**

**So, whaddya think? I haven't quite dropped the lore hammer but I'm sure a few of you have already caught on to what I'm planning to do. No spoilers even if you ask. Y'all will find out next chapter anyway… I hope. The next floor might take up another chapter in which case y'all will find out in chapter 5. Lol.**

**Here are the character sheets for everyone in this chapter.**

**Name: Bulma Briefs**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 2**

**HP: 80/80 (+0.8/s)**

**MP: 605/605 (+0.11/s)**

**KP: 56/56 (+0.056/s)**

**Stats - 272**

**Str: 11**

**Vit: 16**

**Agi: 11**

**Dex: 25**

**Per: 14**

**Int: 121**

**Wis: 22**

**Mnt: 18**

**Fth: 1**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 7**

**Chr: 26**

**Name: Goku Son**

**Race: ?**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 435/435 (+4.35/s)**

**MP: 5/5 (+0/s)**

**KP: 87/87 (+0.087/s)**

**Stats - 375**

**Str: 92**

**Vit: 87**

**Agi: 73**

**Dex: 49**

**Per: 30**

**Int: 1**

**Wis: 0**

**Mnt: 0**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 27**

**Luk: 10**

**Chr: 4 **

**Name: Nekurk**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Ogre) (Giant)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 1,600/1,600 (+4/s) (no bonus since he's not naturally a giant)**

**MP: 125/125 (+0.5/s)**

**KP: 100/100 (+1/s)**

**Stats - 270**

**Str: 80**

**Vit: 80**

**Agi: 40**

**Dex: 20**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 25**

**Wis: 10**

**Mnt: 10**

**Fth: -10**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 5**

**Chr: 0**

**Giant: Being of large stature Vitality is 4x more effective than it is for normal sized people.**

**As always please leave a thoughtful review**

**Thx ;)**


	4. Double Trouble

**AN: I don't know if the revisions I made to the last couple of chapters really changed much of anything. I made a few changes like Ki Sense because obviously Vegeta and Co. used scouters and were surprised by Ki Sensing so it being a racial skill makes zero sense. I added the regen stats on Bulma and Goku's character sheets as well as character sheets at the bottom of some of the pages. I tweaked Defense on some items from percentage to number. Made like five spelling/grammar edits (I'm bad at those and reading my own stuff is mind numbingly boring unless it's been a long time).**

**Feel free to ask me questions because I am already forgetting everything I did. Oh, I changed my level system a bit. I realized that the doubling thing is way too big of a jump between levels so I changed it to constant increase which itself increases by 200 every level. It's at the bottom of the first chapter if you're curious.**

**Oh Gosh… I have made an error. The Uzi Bulma shoots at Goku after meeting Roshi is clearly full sized hence making it an SMG while what she shoots Goku with at the beginning is a simple pistol. It shouldn't be a big change to make, but slightly annoying. I did it.**

**A guest review mentioned it, but there is no Inventory.**

~GG~

Chapter 4: Double Trouble

The difference between the first floor and the second was day and night. Whereas the first floor was a pure expression of exorbitant wealth and luxury the second floor was a cold, dank cave with bad lighting. But it was really open, Bulma estimated that five or so ogres could stand shoulder to shoulder and still move around a little.

"Damn, I can barely see down here." The teen complained.

"I can see okay."

The only things lighting up the cave were a few small torches which were spaced quite far from each other.

'Are we even going to be able to see in between torches?' Bulma wondered. "Guess he hasn't started developing down here."

"Uhuh."

"Well let's get a move on, but uh, let's keep it slow okay Goku?"

"…fine."

"Oh, pay attention with your **Ki Sense** skill so that we have a warning for when enemies come… and you can get some levels on it."

"Yeah, that makes sense. You're so smart Bulma."

Goku's face scrunched up in concentration while he floated along on the Flying Nimbus next to Bulma.

A minute later he said, "I feel someone… Actually, I think there are four people, but they feel super weird. Nothing like me or you."

"Demons must feel different. Do they all feel exactly the same?"

"Hmm… not really. Some feel a little different- wait. We should see them."

Bulma squinted into the low light and sure enough she could make out four figures. Two of them were large and square and two of them clearly had shells on their backs.

"Shit, they have mixed teams now. Goku, if you take care of the ogres I might be able to take care of the kappa."

"Sounds good." he answered before letting out a yell and flying at the enemies.

Goku's attack greatly startled the enemies and drew their attention. Not one of them noticed Bulma as she crouched down and carefully aimed with her uzi. Half a clip later, the first kappa was down.

'No misses' the teen mentally cheered before taking aim at the next enemy.

Unfortunately, her SMG was not quiet and attracted the attention of the other kappa. Bulma's eyes widened in surprise as she suddenly had to dodge a speeding ball of water!

"Oof!" she did not dodge gracefully and simply tried to jump to the side. From her crouched position she could not get enough power in her legs so Bulma simply flopped over onto her stomach.

When she was standing up Bulma realized she had underestimated her enemy's rate of fire and was suddenly splashed by water in the face… hard.

**You have taken 30 damage**

"Shit!" Bulma screamed as she desperately wiped water from her face and subconsciously registered the damage notification. 'Gotta move.' Not wanting to be hit again by an attack that could kill her in three shots the genius started backing up from her previous position.

When she could finally see again Bulma was relieved to find that the kappa had stopped targeting her before she got mad.

'What? Am I not a threat or something? Fuck you!'

Indignant at the perceived snub Bulma emptied the rest of her magazine into the kappa and finished it with a **Manabolt**. Her eyes still stung and she had missed a shot.

When the second kappa went down Goku breathed a sigh of relief since he no longer had to dodge their attacks, he did not take all that much damage having been hit only five times, but they were annoying. It was also distracting to have to try and dodge their attacks and within a few seconds of both Kappa being dead Goku slew the two ogres.

"Well…" Bulma started as she reloaded her Uzi and pulled out her pistol to clip onto her belt. "That was scary." She then looked at Goku's health and blinked in surprise. 'Goku! You lost almost half of your health!"

Goku shrugged. "I took a couple of those water ball things and one of the ogres clipped me. It really didn't hurt that much."

"That's worse! I agree those water balls don't hurt a lot, but that only makes it more dangerous. You won't take the damage seriously like you should, which is exactly what you're doing!"

"Eh."

"Ugh, whatever, just stay safe okay?"

Warning given Bulma decided to pull out one of the kappa shells from her newly dubbed loot capsule.

**Kappa Shell**

**Description: A kappa's shell is a rare and magical item used in many potions and rituals. It is also hard enough to be used as a shield, though it is very crude.**

**Type: Material**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: 10**

**Defense: -50 physical damage, -30 magical damage **

**Durability: 50/50**

**Enhancements: Minor Water Magic Buff**

Bulma then picked up the shell and tried to figure out a way to use it. "Oof, you are not light at all." She complained to the object before measuring it against herself.

At best it could cover her entire torso or back. It was way too heavy for her to use as a shield so it was time to improvise. Bulma pulled out a screw gun, some screws, a knife, and the outfit she was wearing when the pterodactyl kidnapped her.

"What's that?" Goku asked upon seeing the screw gun.

"It's called a screw gun, it's good for… screwing screws."

"Weird. Why do you have it?"

"Hoi-poi houses come with their furniture disassembled. It cuts down labor costs on our side, but it makes it so that you have to have a screw gun and an impact on hand so that you can put everything together. I'm really happy I have it right now though."

Bulma cut up the tainted clothing into long, thick strips with her knife before taking one and placing one end near the top of the kappa shell and the other near the bottom and did the same thing with another strip. She then screwed the strips into the shell, four on each side, and picked it up. The strips held… for all of five second before ripping. Frustrated but not willing to give up Bulma took several strips at once and layered them before screwing them in.

This time they did not rip.

"Yes!" Bulma yelled in joy.

The genius then put the kappa shell on like a backpack and was once again overwhelmed with joy as she discovered the weight was not too bad with her entire body holding it. Then a screen appeared.

**Congratulations! Through a special act you have created a skill!**

**Improvised Crafting**

**Description: You're able to take random shit and put it together to make something useful.**

**Requirements: Int 20**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Touch**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Depending on the level you have different chances to make different rarity items. At level 1 you have a 50% chance to make common rarity items. 20% uncommon and so on until 0.0001% divine.**

**This skill is mostly impacted by Intelligence and real world experience.**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Dex and Wis**

"That's what I'm talking about! New skill!"

"Aww, I wanna new skill."

"Well, you've gotta do cool stuff Goku, but no stealing my skills!"

"Fine, Imma make something good for punching. Just you see!"

"That's probably your best bet so go ahead."

Bulma walked around a little with the kappa shell and while it was heavy and tired her out she knew it would not slow her down in combat.

'Now I can just turn around and block the attacks. Oh snap! I didn't observe it! **Observe**.'

**Kappa Shell Shield**

**Description: A kappa shell that has been turned into a shield. It is very crude.**

**Type: Shield**

**Quality: Common**

**Damage: 20 physical**

**Defense: -50 physical and -30 magical**

**Durability: 40/40**

**Enhancements: Minor Water Magic Buff**

"Mostly the same… but the durability went down! I guess that makes sense since I used screws, but still… Oh well. Feel anyone else Goku?"

Goku looked at Bulma in confusion for a moment before realisation dawned on his face. "Oh! **Ki Sense**! Crap. Lemme see… Nope, no one."

"Okay, like I said Goku, you gotta be on that and if you are you might get a level!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry Bulma. I'll be on it."

"Alright let's keep going."

Half an hour later and two points in Strength and Vitality each for Bulma they came across a second group, this one composed of three ogres and three kappa.

"Crap. Goku we have to play it safe… well I've have to play it safe." Bulma looked around the bend at the enemies as they slowly approached. "I'll stay behind this corner, I should be safe so you don't have to worry about me. Just make sure you don't take many magic attacks and I'll try my best to whittle them down."

Goku simply brushed her aside, "I've got this." he said before running into the group.

Bulma shook her head and unholstered her pistol instead of her uzi and observed it.

**Bulma's Pistol**

Description: A tiny pistol that many would call a pea-shooter. Very weak.

Type: Handgun

Quality: Common

Damage: 5 per bullet

Defense: N/A

Durability: 9/10

Enhancements: N/A

Though it did half the damage the uzi did and shot at a much slower rate, it was much quieter and more precise. She was hoping to get some head shots on the ogres so that they bled out making the fight go much faster.

Goku smashed into the enemies like a force of nature, swinging around an extended Power Pole while simultaneously lashing out with a kick toward the ogre in the middle of the formation. The demons gave all of their attention to their attacker giving Bulma a free firing range. She lined up her shot with the leftmost ogre's head and fired.

**You have dealt 5 damage**

Bulma's excitement from landing the shot was immediately cut off when she realized that the bullet had not penetrated. Now the ogre knew exactly where she was, or it would have if she had not quickly backed into the hallway she was using for cover.

"Fuck."

Now Bulma had a problem.

'If a clean shot like that doesn't get them bleeding then more won't. Unless I become the greatest marksman in a few seconds and can hit the same exact spot over and over, even then this thing is really weak. Shit. They're about yards out so none of my spells can hit them and my uzi is not accurate enough to get headshots from this distance… guess I'll just spray and pray.'

While Bulma considered her situation Goku had heard the shot and saw how it did almost no damage to the ogre. Knowing he wouldn't get any support from her for now Goku decided to go for killing blows only.

The three kappa were taken out in seconds after Goku disengaged from to ogres. They could barely take a single punch from him, much less a **Janken** strike or a blow from his magical staff. He did have to take a blow from an ogre for ignoring them, but it was only one and it actually sent him flying away from them giving him time to take a breath.

It was that scene that Bulma saw before finally poking her head out from around the corner. 'Sheesh the kid works fast.' she kind of, sort of, complained. She was not going to get levels if there were no enemies to attack after all!

Her opening volley of a full clip into all three of the ogres' back was not much damage, but it did distract them a bit. Goku took the opening and sent the Power Pole through the leftmost, from his perspective, ogre's head.

**Critical! **

**You have dealt 366 piercing damage**

**You have slain an enemy**

That scared the other two ogres who actually started running away from the money tailed boy… straight at Bulma!

Scared out of her wits reloaded and pumped an entire clip into the ogre closest to her, the rightmost ogre from her perspective, and tried to aim at his head. She got two notifications for that, but she ignored them.

**You have dealt 135 piercing damage**

**Critical!**

**You have dealt 90 piercing damage**

A glance at the ogre's HP bar floating above his head revealed he had a little over 70 HP left despite having been the one to block Goku's staff attack.

'Damn that regeneration.' Bulma complained as she reloaded her uzi.

Unfortunately for her the ogres were already upon her, and the one she shot was really angry. She ducked the mace swing from him and the weapon glance off of her shell. This placed her face to face with the ogre's stomach and Bulma used the brand new spell.

"**Flame**!"

The ogre had overextended himself with his attack and as such could do nothing as Bulma latched onto his stomach like a tick and began breathing fire into his unprotected stomach.

"GRAARGH!" It screamed in agony as it desperately tried to pry the teen from himself, but his findher found no purchase on the smooth kappa shell and he was weakened from the damage and could not brute force her off. Seven seconds later he was dead.

The other ogre had completely ignored the attack and then gruesome death of his companion and instead wondered how a human used the same spell as Nekurk from above. Moments later his skull was crushed by Goku.

**Critical!**

**You have dealt 366 blunt damage**

**You have slain an enemy**

Bulma meanwhile had rolled off the evaporating body of her kill and stared into the ceiling, her eyes empty of anything. Goku saw her lack of movement and waddled over.

"Earth to Bulma? Are you there Bulma?"

She teenage girl did not respond for a moment before randomly perking up.

"I'm fine."

"Huh?"

Bulma stood up and dusted herself off. "I'm fine."

Goku blinked, something was off. "Okay?"

"I'm. Fine."

At this point Goku realized that she was not talking to him.

"Let's keep moving Goku. I want to GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS DAMN DUNGEON!"

The boy with the tail flinched at her sudden outburst but simply nodded in acceptance.

A small thought in the back of Bulma's head flitted around. 'I'm going to need therapy."

~GG~

The rest of the floor took three hours to explore. Mostly because the duo continued to encounter large groups that Bulma needed to hide from in order to engage. The worst one was a group of ten that they ran into without any cover for Bulma. She immediately turned tail and ran but not without getting hit by five water balls. Luckily three of them hit her shell shield, but the two that got her hit her head sending her two the ground. At that moment Bulma was sure she was dead, she might be able to take a third one thanks to her increasing vitality, but she was defenseless on the floor.

Goku stepped up though, and began spinning his staff and blocking the attacks for Bulma. He did this for nearly a minute, now blocking the strikes from the ogres, until Bulma was able to get herself together and continue retreating. They actually fully retreated from the battle and Goku made sure they got away by caving in the hallway with the Power Pole.

Bulma broke down, the trauma of nearly dying breaking through her effort to suppress all of the "fucked up shit" she had been through with Goku. The boy had to awkwardly stand around as the teen bawled her eyes out for a full thirty minutes.

When she finally calmed down enough to talk Bulma said, "Let's keep going. I've got a mental map of this place and we have a few ways we can go. Let's- Goku, can you fly ahead so we have an earlier warning?"

Goku simply nodded, the air around Bulma was still quite heavy.

"Thanks. If we go down this hall and take a right-"

That had probably set them back a bit time wise, but Bulma had wanted to explore the entire cave anyway in hopes of getting a special boss again. Now… she was not so sure of that, but she no longer had a choice. They ran into multiple dead ends that they had consistently been avoiding out of pure luck and several smaller groups of enemies. There ended up being only two viable routes besides the one they had been traveling. One led them to a room, the first of the second floor and unlike many of its compatriots upstairs, it was not empty.

Bulma let out a gasp of horror as she took in the sight before her. Blood and bones, some with bits of flesh and skin still on them, littered the room making it difficult to walk into without dirtying yourself. The floor was dominated by a large circle made up of what Bulma assumed her runes as she had never seen anything like them before. At the corner of the room a table existed and upon it was a long, wicked looking knife clearly designed to saw through things.

"A summoning chamber? Is this where all of those demons came from?"

Bulma did not read for fun, nor did she watch television or play video games, but even she could easily call this a summoning chamber. It was such a stereotype.

"Goku… let's leave."

"You don't want the knife?"

Bulma shivered. "No, let's just go."

The other direction led them to a boss door, which surprised the genius since there was only one way to get there.

'What was down that first hallway?'

"Aww Bulma, he found the door, but there's no way we got the secret thingy! Let's go back to that first hallway."

"But… but I don't want to…" she trailed off weakly.

"Please Bulma! I wanna fight strong guys!"

She wanted to protest, but how could she deny the only reason she was alive? "Okay, I guess we can…"

"Yay!"

Thus the duo backtracked again. Upon arriving at the caved in hallway Bulma spoke up.

"Goku, only take out some of the rocks so that it's really hard to get through. That way we only have to fight one guy at a time. Sounds good?"

"Aww but I wanna fight a bunch of them!"

"C'mon Goku-" Bulma started, but she was ignored as Goku began smashing through the rocks with his bare fist.

She blinked in awe at the sight, though she should not have been that surprised anymore, as Goku smashed rocks until a hole an ogre could walk through was made.

"Ha, ha, ha." Goku panted before wiping his brow, "Take… too… long… to do more. I'll go get them."

The saiyan flew away down the hall and minute later returned with the large group trained behind him.

"Get ready Bulma!" he shouted as he jumped off of his Flying Nimbus and stood in front of the opening he had made.

The teen could not help but smirk at the boy's constant exuberance as she readied her uzi. This time the fight ended quite easily.

Goku started things off by extending the Power Pole through the ogre in front of him, then the ogre behind it, and then the ogre behind that one. Three critical hits for one attack and the bleed he had inflicted killed them a few seconds later. Bulma did not let the large opening he made go to waste as she followed up with a full clip through the hole Goku had made, actually killing a kappa and injuring another ogre.

Goku's slaughter of three of their brethren stopped the rest of the enemies cold in their tracks. The attack from Bulma proved to them that they were not safe even if they stayed out of range of the small child and they backed off from the entrance completely.

"Aww Bulma, they're running away!"

"Then get after them."

Goku did so and Bulma followed. The saiyan's exit from the tiny hallway he had made immediately brought the enemies attacks upon him. He tanked the four water spells and blocked both of the ogres' mace swings. The demons' fear of him overshadowed their common sense and thus they were not prepared from Bulma who killed two kappa with precise aim.

Goku then pushed back the ogres before spinning his staff above his head and successfully disarming them. On the back foot the ogres were not able to respond to Goku's follow up **Janken** combo, but one rolled away and successfully escaped death.

The kappa had turned their attention on Bulma and started flinging spells at her, but she was at full health. She spun around and her shield tanked both spells while the teen reloaded her uzi through the attacks. She then quickly spun back around and dispatched both kappa. The one she had attacked second threw another spell at her, but his frazzled aim was way off and it missed her completely.

Goku meanwhile hunted down the fleeing ogre and ended his life with a double leg drop to the spine.

Bulma blinked when she realized they had taken out the entire group and had done so quite easily. She then collapsed onto the floor in relief.

"Thank you Kami." she offered while she took a moment to relax. "That… was really stressful."

"If you say so. Now let's keep moving!"

"Please Goku, I need a minute. This shell is so heavy."

Goku simlu huffed in acquiescence. They had already stopped several times so far for the same reason and he was not so dumb or cruel to ignore her request.

~GG~

At the end of the hallway they had been originally traveling the duo found a dead end, but this time the wall had something on it.

"Huh? What is all this?" Goku asked Bulma.

"I'm not sure… maybe a puzzle?" she offered.

The wall was covered in a large circle that was made up of blocks which had runes etched onto them.

"Those are the same runes we saw earlier… Oh! Goku, we have to put the runes in the right order!"

"Huh?"

"The room earlier Goku, it had the same rune things. I bet if this matches the circle we found there we'll have solved the puzzle!" 'Really easy puzzle though…'

"If you say so."

"Yeah yeah. But we've gotta head back so I can write down the order of the runes in that… horrible room."

"Then let's get moving!"

It took them nearly half an hour to go to the summoning room, copy the notes, and then return to the puzzle wall and put the pieces in order. Bulma then realized that the caveat that made the puzzle harder was the fact that a person could not possibly reach the higher rune blocks. The top of the circle was fifteen feet off of the ground!

'Thank Kami that Goku's here!'

Once the puzzle had been solved it let out a bright red glow from the runes and the spaces between the blocks for a second before dimming to almost nothing.

"I guess that's it. Let's go get that boss!"

"Finally, that took so long!"

Another walk later Goku and Bulma reached the boss door… and it had changed.

"Oh crap." Bulma muttered.

Whereas before the door held an obvious depiction of a kappa with a spiky shell it now had two depictions. On the left was the kappa with the spiky shell and on the right was an ogre in armor, only unlike every other ogre it had a short mace and shield.

"Oh crap." Bulma repeated, quite hesitant to enter the room.

Goku completely ignored her and pushed open the door, receiving the screen he had been anticipating.

**Congratulations! You have completed the secret requirement [Solve the Puzzle]**

**As such a second boss has been summoned thanks to your efforts!**

"I hate everything. I should have said no." Bulma complained as Goku entered the arena.

This boss room was quite different from the one before, but it matched the aesthetics of the floor. It was a massive domed cave that had no torched, but was instead illuminated by many green glowing mosses and mushrooms. Unfortunately dark green was a horrible color or illumination, especially when it was a low light and Bulma had to struggle to see everything. There were too large pools of water that took up most of the floor and were connected by a small stretch of water effectively cutting the room in half and leaving only ten percent of the floor as dry land. A small bridge connected the front of the room to the back of the room and it looked quite sturdy, at least Bulma hoped it did.

Then the bosses appeared. The Kappa with the spiked shell was slightly above average in terms of height coming about even to Bulma. It had a distinct coloration from the other kappa being primarily a mottled red and black in skin with a blood red shell covered in black spikes. It's hair was also longer than his non-boss relatives. A quick **Observe** did not make Bulma feel any better.

**Name: Drizzgor**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Kappa)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 225/225**

**MP: 400/400**

**Stats**

**Str: 30**

**Vit: 45**

**Agi: 30**

**Int: 80**

**Wis: 60**

**Luk: 5**

'His wisdom is much higher than mine! He'll eventually outpace me in spellcasting if this fight goes on long enough.'

Bulma wanted to use **Observe **on the ogre on the other side of the bridge, but Goku was already fighting it, and more pressingly, the kappa boss was attacking her!

Its cheeked puffed before it spat out a beam of water. Bulma was able to spin around and use the shell to block the attack, but the damage notification made her blood run cold.

**You have taken 90 points of damage**

That attack had nearly killed her in a single shot. If it weren't for all of the stats she had gained on the second floor she would be dead. "GOKU! GET ON THIS KAPPA!" She screamed in desperation.

Luckily Goku had stayed on the Flying Nimbus and almost instantly was on top of her attacker who had already been preparing another water spell.

Bulma would have sagged in relief if the ogre Goku had disengaged was not currently running across the bridge, its eyes were trained directly on her and she felt them bore into her soul.

**You have been [Intimidated] by a stronger foe **

**Paralyzed for five seconds**

The teen's eyes would have widened at the notification if she could move. Five seconds was more than enough time to get to her and kill her, but once again Goku swooped in like a knight in shining armor. He swung his staff at the mace arm of the ogre who did not see him until it was too late to react. The impact sent the boss off of the bridge and into the water.

"Bulma, the kappa is under the water so I can't get him!" Goku yelled.

Two seconds later Bulma was finally able to respond. "Okay. I'm going to find some cover…" Bulma looked around the large cave and found that besides the bridge there was no cover. "Shit. Goku! You have to keep the ogre off the bridge! It's the only place I can go!"

Even then the protection Bulma would get was pathetic. The bridge was just a small hump above the water; wide enough for the ogre to walk on it, but only eight feet long. It had no rails so the only protection it offered was directly below her when she was on it. Still, it was better than nothing.

"Okay!"

The ogre boss was currently trying and failing to get out of the pond. His metal armor was clearly heavier than Nekurk's leather set and both of his hand being occupied did not help in the slightest.

Before the boss could make a decision Goku made the decision for him by using his staff to push the ogre into the surprisingly deep water. The extra boss immediately discarded his sword and shield and began trying to swim up. Unfortunately for him Goku had wedged the the Power Pole into his armor through a gap as his neck. If he wanted to not drown he would have to remove his breastplate.

Bulma arrived at the bridge and got onto her hands and knees to get as much cover as possible. Though she knew she should lay curl up into the large turtle shell shield and wait for Goku to kill the bosses, she could not help but be drawn to the disturbing sight her companion was creating for her. The water was crystal clear and even in the low blue light that the cave provided she could see the ogre boss, now at least ten feet below the surface, struggle to only to remove his breastplate but to resist breathing. His movements soon became frantic and Bulma saw the boss panic, give up on removing his breastplate, and begin to wildly flail around.

Just as she thought she was going to witness a drowning the kappa boss made himself known. He rocketed toward the ogre boss and easily removed him from Goku's staff and swam him up to the surface where the ogre began spluttering, coughing up water, and desperately gulping fresh air.

"Aww, he got away." Goku complained before flying at the two bosses.

Even though the kappa was supporting the ogre it did not need its arms to attack and sent a spout of water from his mouth toward Goku. The boy dodged the attack but the kappa maintained the attack and began following him with the water. The Flying Nimbus was much too quick for the boss and his attack only saved him a few seconds before Goku was close enough to retaliate.

Bulma got curious and took advantage of her relative safety to use **Observe** on the ogre boss.

**Name: Vornimek**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Ogre)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 250/450**

**MP: 175/175**

**Stats**

**Str: 90**

**Vit: 90**

**Agi: 50**

**Int: 35**

**Wis: 10**

**Luk: 5**

**A skill has-**

'Drowning him took him down to half!' Bulma noted before dismissing the second screen that popped up.

She then shivered at the fact that drowning someone was a viable strategy to use. Bulma had already decided to see a therapist after her adventure came to a close when she had helped kill the bear bandit, but the last few hours had heaped on a mountain of material to address and Goku's blasé approach to drowning another living being was close to the top of the list.

Those few seconds where Bulma used **Observe** on the ogre boss were enough for him to get a grip which allowed both bosses to swim under the water to avoid Goku's attack. Really the kappa swam while the ogre held on since the kappa's speed underwater was ludicrous! They quickly recovered the ogre's discarded weapons that rested on the lake bed before facing their opponent.

It was quite the sight to see monsters with their bellies facing upwards at their opponent, who was floating on a cloud, as if they were standing on solid ground. The ogre had even entered a stance!

"Aww screw it." Goku muttered to himself before jumping into the water.

"Goku no!" Bulma screamed, but it was too late.

The boy was in the water and swimming towards the two enemies. She could see that the bosses were almost… smirking at Goku's choice.

"Shit, that idiot! The kappa is obviously super strong under water!" Bulma complained aloud before trying to figure out a way to help her small companion.

Meanwhile, the kappa started waving his hands around and Goku found himself no longer in control of his swimming. No matter how hard he kicked with his legs or stroked with his arms he could not stop himself from being swept around in circles. He quickly became disoriented and had no way of blocking the kappa's magical attack when it hit him.

**You have taken 120 water damage**

'Maybe I gotta get outta the water.' Goku thought to himself when he saw the amount of damage he had taken.

He may not have been able to read, write, or talk well, but Goku knew how to fight and he knew his body. In all honesty he really did not need the notification to tell him how much damage he had taken. He could feel it quite easily and he knew how it would affect him going forward.

Twisting his body around Goku used his staff by quickly extending it to the bottom of the lake and using it to push himself out of the water. He quickly shot out, scaring Bulma in the process since he looked like he was impaled upon his own weapon, and yelled for his cloud which quickly arrived and let him settle down onto it.

Bulma had quickly realized she could do nothing for Goku. Her **Manabolt **could not reach their opponents at the bottom of the lake and she knew that jumping in was straight up suicide. She had fretted in worry when she saw him lose control of himself and then take an almost invisible attack. Relief washed over her the moment he was safe on his cloud.

"Damnit Goku, you have to think before you do something like that! The kappa is a demon of the water, even if you don't know that, they've been attacking us with water this entire time! Why would you fight a boss version in water?"

Goku pouted petulantly before responding. "They're trying to stall see?" he pointed down and Bulma indeed saw the two bosses hanging out under the water without moving. "Now we just have to wait for their attack and that sucks…"

"Fine, but that was still stupid." 'I can't wait to get rid of his debuffs.'

A moment passed as they said nothing and observed their opponents.

"At this rate everyone will be back to full health and the fight will have reset." Bulma noted. "Also, that kappa is somehow making the ogre breath underwater. Probably why he's kept a hand on him the entire time…"

Bulma sighed. "What the hell do we do?"

Before they could try to plan anything their opponents burst into motion, directly towards the bridge Bulma was resting on.

"Goku! Get me to the door!" Bulma yelled as she stood up and ran towards the boy.

The saiyan easily caught her just as the ogre smashed through the bridge like a torpedo, utterly destroying it. At the same time the kappa burst out of the water and shot at the duo, an attack Goku still dodged with ease even with Bulma held above his head.

The twelve-year-old quickly flew to the closed third floor entrance and deposited Bulma, but not before she gave him some instruction.

"We have to beat the kappa, it's the "real" boss and is the biggest pain even though the ogre is so strong. I'll be bait and you need to take him out fast."

"Sounds good." Goku replied before turning to confront the bosses.

The ogre had landed on the other side of the bridge which was the reason why she told Goku to go to the side that she did. The kappa had already ducked underwater and could not be seen from their new location.

The monkey boy decided to be a bit crafty and extended his Power Pole to the longest length that he was comfortable wielding in the large cave. Now he could effectively attack the kind of stranded ogre, though it could probably jump the small stream with ease, without leaving Bulma too exposed.

Goku swung and was immediately disappointed by how easily his attack was blocked by the enemy's shield.

"No good." he muttered before closing the distance himself.

"Goku! What are you doing?" Bulma screamed as her bodyguard abandoned her, but Goku did not respond. He simply entered melee range with the orc and began pounding him.

Goku's superior speed gave him a clear advantage despite Vornimek's skill in using his sword and shield, but he was not doing as much damage as the ogre had expected having been on the receiving end of one of the kid's attacks already. Not to mention the boy still had his staff extended.

The reason behind Goku's actions were made clear when Drizzgor jumped out of the water to attack a cowering Bulma. She held her uzi, but it would be so ineffective… The moment Drizzgor attacked Goku whipped the power pole around with all the strength that he could muster and landed a clean hit on the unaware boss' back. His strength was so great that Goku actually shattered the shell in a small area around where the staff had connected.

**Critical!**

**You have dealt 327 blunt damage**

**The enemy is crippled for 5 seconds**

Bulma watched, wide-eyed, as the kappa flew towards her. This lasted for only a moment before she unloaded her entire clip into the flying opponent before it crashed into her.

**You have dealt 166 piercing damage**

**You have slain a boss [Drizzgor]**

**You have taken 60 blunt damage**

Bulma groaned in equal parts happiness and pain as she dismissed the screens and pushed the kappa's dead body off of herself. Confident in their victory Bulma was ready to relax while Goku mopped the floor with their opponent, but then the ogre let out a pained roar and became enveloped by a faint, red aura. Vornimek then started attacking with an even greater fervor than before and she quickly became worried as Goku was put on the back foot.

"Shit, **observe**." Bulma said while reloading her uzi.

**Name: Vornimek**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Ogre)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 342/450 (+4.5/s)**

**MP: 175/175 (+0.5/s)**

**KP: 110/110 (+0.11/s)**

**Stats - 350**

**Str: 90 (108)**

**Vit: 90**

**Agi: 50 (60)**

**Int: 35**

**Wis: 10**

**Luk: 5**

**Status: Enraged**

"Oh… that's… hmm…" Bulma was torn, on one hand, the upgrade to **observe** had been quite noticeable and immediately useful, on the other hand, Goku had been slashed by the boss' sword. "I don't need to know what "enraged" means, I think I already know."

Bulma then ran up to the edge of the small stream that connected the two lakes and took aim at Vornimek's slightly exposed head. The helm he was wearing left a small opening for his eyes and mouth so she had to be accurate. Five pulls of the trigger later Bulma had only hit one of her shots and it had not been a critical one.

"Magic it is." Bulma said before she stood up started casting **Manabolt**.

**You have dealt 9 magic damage**

Bulma was ready to give up when she remembered how effective her **flame** had been at point blank range. 'Being around Goku these six days has clearly driven me insane." she complained before entering the water as quietly as possible, and swimming until she was behind the ogre and Goku who had drifted towards the stream.

Bulma became more sure of her choice when she saw that Goku and the ogre boss had reached a stalemate. The ogre's sword had dealt a painful 161 slashing to his left forearm and while his HP regen had not been affected, the wound wept blood aplenty was not slowing down. That combined with a few other nicks and a blow from the shield left Goku hovering at 190 HP. Vornimek was in the same situation with 160 HP despite having taken several more blows.

'That armor is doing work.' Bulma observed as she attempted to exit the water and creep up on the stalemate as quietly as possible.

Goku's superior speed kept him safe, but the ogre's aggressive recklessness and him not wanting to take more damage than he already had kept him on defense. Vornimek swung widely, heedless of the fact that he was either constantly missing or being deflected, but that did not matter. He needed to kill his opponents, no matter what.

As Bulma crept closer Goku noticed her, but did not react. He was instantly able to understand that she needed to be kept a secret from their opponent. Luckily, as Bulma entered a comfortable jumping distance from their enemy he had yet to notice her, but Goku wanted to be sure that whatever she was planning worked.

When Bulma jumped Goku took that second of time between her leaving the ground and touching boss' back to lunge forward and grab Vornimek's arms, tapping them underneath his own. Before the ogre could rip himself free from the terribly ineffective hold he felt his helmet being removed and then a searing pain devoured his entire world.

"GRRAAAAAARRRRGGHHHH!" He screamed in agony as Bulma poured on the fire streaming from her mouth.

Vornimek began to thrash widely, but Goku had once again taken advantage of a spil moment in time to land a kick to the ogre's crotch.

**You have dealt 55 blunt damage**

Luckily for the boss, this area was also covered in armor so he did not get stunned or take all that much damage from the attack. Unfortunately it still stung his balls and distracted him for long enough.

Just as Vornimek freed his hands from Goku's hold, having all the while been screaming in pain and terror from the fact that his head was being roasted while he still breathed, and reached towards the gant upon his back so that he may squash it… he died.

**You have dealt 120 fire damage**

**You have slain a boss [Vornimek]**

"Thank Kami!" Bulma yelled with a dry throat as she jumped off of the evaporating boss' back. "That… was yet another horrible thing." she lamented as the still standing boss slowly disappeared.

"WOOOOOOOO! WE DID IT!" Goku happily screamed at the top of his lungs before flopping onto the cave floor. "I'm so tired." he muttered weakly before drifting off to sleep.

"Well… aren't you lucky." Bulma said as she walked over to the comatose boy and rubbed his huge hair affectionately. She doubted that sleep would come to her easily today… or any day soon really.

"Now…" Bulma started as she looked at the massive number of screens floating in front of both her and Goku. "to deal with all of you."

~GG~

**AN: Wowee, that got long. I honestly did not expect for the chapter about the second floor to be longer than the chapter about the first floor. I don't think that will be the case for the next floor, but we'll have to see.**

**I had been tempted to cut this chapter up, but given how the boss encounter was literally half of the chapter there was no way to do so without fucking up the pacing. Not to mention it would be such a cock tease to just cut off a fight like that. I've actually been reading a lot of litRPG stories recently and one that I like on Royal Road started doing that crap. The author would end a chapter with a cliffhanger, or something to look forward to, they just stopped it in the middle of a scene or situation and somehow it created no tension. It's just weird and throws me off as a reader.**

**Anyway, I had so much fun writing this. It came quite easily and the only obstacle was school and a Borderlands 3 update that improved some of the shittier guns in big ways.**

**I'm really not sure what to say anymore…. Did you like the fight? It's probably the longest I've ever done… possibly… I don't know.**

**Expect a Gamer dump at the start of the next chapter and though I honestly find those to be the best parts of litRPGs I hope it doesn't bore any of you.**

**Like always leave a thoughtful review.**

**And here are the full stats.**

**Goku had no change**

**Name: Bulma Briefs**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 2**

**HP: 100/100 (+1/s)**

**MP: 620/620 (+1.2/s)**

**KP: 62/62 (+0.062/s)**

**Stats - 292**

**Str: 16**

**Vit: 20**

**Agi: 13**

**Dex: 27**

**Per: 16**

**Int: 124**

**Wis: 24**

**Mnt: 18**

**Fth: 1**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 7**

**Chr: 26**

**Turtle Shell Training goes a long way LOL. As does stress and desperation.**

**Name: Vornimek**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Ogre)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 450/450 (+4.5/s)**

**MP: 175/175 (+0.5/s)**

**KP: 110/110 (+0.11/s)**

**Stats - 350**

**Str: 90**

**Vit: 90**

**Agi: 50**

**Dex: 30**

**Per: 30**

**Int: 35**

**Wis: 10**

**Mnt: 10**

**Fth: -10**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 5**

**Chr: 0**

**Enrage: Increases the user's Str, Agi, and Dex stats by 20%**

**Judgement is severely affected**

**(anyone may enter this state)**

**Name: Drizzgor**

**Race: Lesser Demon (Kappa)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 225/225 (+2.25/s)**

**MP: 400/400 (+3/s)**

**KP: 115/115 (0.115/s)**

**Stats - 350**

**Str: 30**

**Vit: 45**

**Agi: 30**

**Dex: 30**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 80**

**Wis: 60**

**Mnt: 10**

**Fth: -10**

**Aff: 40**

**Luk: 5**

**Chr: 0**

**Demon of Water: Water Element Magic deals 100% more damage**

**HP, MP, and KP recovery are increased by 100%**

**Receive 50% less damage from all sources**

**(must be in or touching water to be effective)**

**Thx ;)**


	5. Oolong

**AN: AND I'M ON! I was too excited to get things started on this chapter so chapter 4 might be a little rough… sorry.**

~GG~

Chapter 5: Oolong

Bulma took in the multiple screens layered on top of each other and decided that the best way to tackle it was to start with the oldest notification.

**While surviving the second floor you had several stat gains**

**+5 Strength**

**+4 Vitality**

**+2 Agility**

**+2 Perception**

"Yeah, that was why I lived at all. Weight training works, but to be honest I was so stressed the entire time I barely noticed it."

**You also got a little something during the boss battle**

**+1 Vitality**

**+2 Wisdom**

**+2 Mental Fortitude**

**+3 Luck**

**+1 Faith**

**You have achieved [Trusted] status with Goku**

"Awesome… next. And I had forgotten about the relationship meter."

**A skill has leveled up!**

**Observe**

**Description: Allows the user to learn information about the people and items around them.**

**Requirements: Play the Game**

**Level: 3**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Line of Sight**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Currently shows Name, Race, Level, HP, MP, and KP as well as their regeneration rates. The six basic stats can be seen as well as the total number of stats that the enemy has. The name of any statuses can be seen. Item descriptions are slightly more detailed.**

**Special Effects: Observe cannot be used on people or enemies that have a Mental Fortitude stat that is more than double the user's own. Observe can be blocked by special skills and circumstances.**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis and Mnt**

"Nice." was all Bulma said, but it was enough. She could already feel the stress from the last few hours slowly beginning to drain away.

**A spell has leveled up!**

**Flame**

**Description: A strong gout of flame that can be cast from either the user's hand or mouth. It is one of the most basic fire magic spells that exist.**

**Requirements: 20 Int**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Sustained Projectile**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: 10 MP per second**

**Range: 4 feet**

**Damage: 20 fire damage per second**

**Effects: Can inflict burn upon enemies**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Vit and Mnt**

**By achieving a level of magic purely by your own efforts you have gained the skill [Fire Magic Mastery]**

**Fire Magic Mastery**

**Description: Fire Magic, or pyromancy, is a form of magical manipulation that turns mana into fire. Mastery of this type of magic opens the way for many spells related to fire.**

**Requirements: Gain a level on a fire magic spell without instruction**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by fire magic spells by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Vit and Mnt**

**A mastery has leveled up!**

**Submachine Gun Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of all types of Submachine Guns.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 3**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by SMG type weapons by 6%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Agi, Dex, and Per**

**You have been granted these levels for your exceptional performance during the Boss Fight as well as securing both kills. They were already close to leveling up.**

"Huh, so skill level progress can be rewarded. That's great."

**For surviving a Boss Fight that you had absolutely no business doing so while still contributing to the fight in a substantial matter you have gained a perk.**

**Survivor**

**Description: You have lived through an ordeal that you had a less than a 1% chance of surviving. Good Job!**

**Effects: You are better equipped to deal with survival situations**

**One time boost to stats**

**+2 to all stats **

**(except for Affinity as the user has yet to acquire said stat)**

"Dear, sweet Kami. That's… amazing." Bulma could not help the tears that fell from her eyes. The entire event had been quite horrible for her. Despite her interest in using the game and her previous run-ins with danger, the second floor had been the absolute worst and the boss fight had been the shitty frosting on top of the giant shit cake.

Bulma simply enjoyed the relief and pride that flowed through her for a minute before calling for her stats.

**Name: Bulma Briefs**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 2**

**HP: 135/135 (+1.35/s)**

**MP: 675/675 (+1.5/s)**

**KP: 85/85 (+0.085/s)**

**Stats - 350**

**Str: 18**

**Vit: 27**

**Agi: 17**

**Dex: 31**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 135**

**Wis: 30**

**Mnt: 28**

**Fth: 4**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 12**

**Chr: 28**

Bulma blinked and took in her new stats for a moment. "Wow." A few moments later she voiced something that had nagged her. "But… why did I get that Faith point?"

**Faith is not just a belief in a higher power**

"That's… really nice actually. I had faith in Goku…" Bulma had never had a friend she trusted in as much as she did Goku. It made her feel… warm. "Speaking of…"

Goku was out like a light, but in front of him floated several screens.

"Let's see what you got."

**For excellent performance in the Boss Fight, you have earned a few points**

**+1 Vitality**

**+2 Perception**

**+1 Intelligence**

**+1 Wisdom**

**+1 Faith**

**You have achieved [Trusted] status with Bulma**

"Huh… Goku believed in me too." Bulma laughed and shook her head. "This is so cheesy."

**A skill has leveled up twice!**

**Toughness**

**Description: You are a stout being, one that can take many hits in the heat of battle. Now you can take a few more.**

**Requirements: 40 Vit**

**Level: 3**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Reduces physical damage taken by 3%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+4 Str and Vit**

**A skill has leveled up!**

**Ki Sense**

**Description: Allows the user to sense the inherent life energy of all living beings: Ki.**

**Requirements: Be Taught or Be Born to a Ki Sensitive Race**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: 15 Meters**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: The user can sense Ki**

**If they concentrate individual Ki signatures can be distinguished**

**At higher levels, the range and precision will increase**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Vit and +1 Wis and Mnt**

**A mastery has leveled up!**

**Staff Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of staff type weapons.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 4**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by staff type weapons by 8%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Str, Agi, and Dex**

"Nothing too crazy. Last one."

**Due to a special act, you have created a skill**

**Oh no! You have failed to learn the skill!**

"Shit. That fucking debuff is a killer… shit."

After dismissing the screens Bulma was curious about one more thing: Goku's new stats!

"Uhm… Goku's stats?" she asked hoping to summon them.

**Error!**

**The user [Bulma] has no been given permission to see user [Goku]'s stats**

"Damn, but now I know." Bulma turned away from the sleeping boy toward the two separate loot piles. Since the ogre's was closer she went to that one first.

Almost immediately she was disappointed, she could not see the ogre's armor anywhere. 'But Goku probably wouldn't have worn it. Oh well.'

Instead, there was a small pile of zeni, this one with higher denominations, to Bulma's relief. There was also the boss' shield which she knew Goku would not use and finally the ogre's horns.

**Vornimek's Horn (x2)**

**Description: A pair of horns belonging to the special boss Vornimek. They have special magic not seen in many low-class demon horns: Physical as opposed to magical enhancements. They can be used to create a special potion or worn as an ornament.**

**Type: Material**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: 10 physical**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 20/20**

**Enhancements: +5 Strength and Vitality**

"I didn't even realize he had horns…" Bulma muttered as she remembered melting the boss' head.

The teen shook her head to dismiss the disturbing image and put everything into her Dungeon Items capsule before crossing the little river to get to the other loot. The kappa's drops were immediately more substantial both in volume and in quality. The pile had more zeni, another kappa shell, more kappa water, and most importantly: not one, but two skill books.

"Yes! Spell Book?" Bulma asked as she opened it up. "Oh? **Swimming** and **Underwater Combat**? Masteries…" Bulma considered the books for a moment. "But I already know how to swim… I did it during the fight! But it is a mastery, maybe you have to be good at something to get a skill? Why did I get the **Improvised Crafting** skill then?"

No screen appeared to answer Bulma's question.

"Oh well, maybe Goku- crap. No skill books for him. Dammit."

The **Severe Head Trauma** debuff was a thorn in Bulma's side. Goku was the obvious choice for **Underwater Combat** yet he could not learn it. They both knew how to swim so it didn't matter who learned the skill, but Goku could not learn it either so the choice was obvious.

"I'll hold on to **Underwater Combat** for Goku after I get rid of that debuff and I'll learn **Swimming** now."

Bulma put the first mastery book into her fanny pack for safekeeping and started reading the other book.

Half an hour later Bulma had learned that her assumption was correct, the book was an in-depth analysis of swimming and how to do it well. It described forms, pointed out important muscle groups, explained a few breathing techniques, and even a few benefits that the exercise provided beside the obvious. It made her acquisition of **Improvised Crafting** even more questionable, but she dismissed the thought upon seeing a screen appear.

**Swimming Mastery**

**Description: Movement through water is an art that many people do not know the full depths of. You do, though, and you can swim quite well.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Improves the user's ability to swim**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Str, Vit, and Agi**

"Not a lot, but six stats are six stats. Now I wonder if I can teach it to Goku…"

Having finished all of the important post boss fight stuff, that Bulma realized was probably going to be the norm for her now, she decided to join Goku in slumber. The past few hours had been quite long and she was exhausted in every way imaginable. Bulma worried that the rough, uneven, and hard cave floor would make it difficult to sleep, but she was out within seconds of closing her eyes.

~GG~

Bulma woke up two hours later to find Goku lazily floating in the crystal clear lake. Even after the nap, he seemed a bit tired which was a first for the energetic boy.

"Still tired Goku?"

"...No, I just didn't get anything from the boss fight."

Bulma could not but laugh at the response. "Goku, you got a bunch of stuff, I just looked through it when you slept and dismissed it."

That perked the boy up immediately. "What'd I get?"

Bulma then described all of the stat gains and level increases and was just as pleased as Goku was at how much he had grown.

"-but I couldn't see your stats, you should bring them up! Oh, and let me access them."

"Okay… Bulma can access my stats?" A small ding could be heard in the distance which the duo took as confirmation. "And stats!" 

**Name: Goku Son**

**Race: ?**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 470/470 (+4.7/s)**

**MP: 10/10 (+0.1/s)**

**KP: 97/97 (+0.097/s)**

**Stats - 397**

**Str: 98**

**Vit: 94**

**Agi: 75**

**Dex: 51**

**Per: 32**

**Int: 2**

**Wis: 2**

**Mnt: 1**

**Fth: 1**

**Aff: 27**

**Luk: 10**

**Chr: 4 **

"Goku, you are so close to 400!" Bulma cheered.

"Yeah… so?"

"Well, you've been over 300 since I've met you. 400 is the next milestone and it seems really mean to make us wait until 500 or even 600 points to level up. So really I'm just hoping that 400 is the next level."

"Did ya ask the game?"

Bulma blinked and then facepalmed in frustration. "No… game can you explain levels?"

Nothing happened, but the teen was not deterred. Clicking on things got her information before, it might do it again. So she called up her own stat page and clicked on the word "level."

**Levels are defined by your total stats**

**298/400**

"Welp, my hopes are true. 400 is the next level."

"Cool, but how can I get more stats?"

"I'm going to teach you how to swim!"

"…but I already know how to swim."

"Do you have **Swimming Mastery**?"

"No."

"Well, I just got it from a book the kappa boss dropped. It taught me a lot about swimming that I didn't know or realize. I haven't swum yet, but I'm sure I'm better at it now. We have water and I have a teaching skill. You're going to learn how to swim properly and you're going to level up."

"Cool!" was Goku's enthusiastic response before he quickly stripped out of his leather armor and Gi until he was naked and jumped into the water.

Bulma cringed at the vulgar act. "Eww, Goku I'm not stripping like you. Close your eyes while I change okay? Otherwise, I'll shoot you."

The teen saw the boy do as she told, but an errant thought crossed her mind. 'I was wearing panties that first night I met Goku, and I woke up without them.' She considered that even and had a sudden brain blast. 'I woke up because he said I was missing my balls!' Fury rose in Bulma's chest like hot lava.

"Goku," she said slowly. "Did you take my panties off a couple of nights ago?"

"You mean your underwear? Yeah, I wanted a pillow and I couldn't feel anything down there. So I took 'em off to check and… you have no balls! Girls have no balls!" He said as if he had made some great scientific discovery.

"I'm gonna kill you, slowly. Is that why you touched that girl and that old lady?"

"Yeah!"

Bulma sent a **Manabolt** at Goku, who still had his eyes closed.

"Oww!"

"Never do that again. I'll give you an anatomy lesson later, but know that you deserve a lot more than that for violating me and those two other women like that. Never. Do that. Again. Am I clear Goku?"

"…okay"

"Good, keep your eyes closed."

A minute later Bulma was wearing a simple, white two-piece that accentuated her curves quite well. She bought it to show off, but it was wasted on her current audience and that annoyed her even more.

An hour of swimming instruction later Goku finally learned the skill and Bulma had gotten a level for Teaching.

**Teaching**

**Description: The act of imparting knowledge is one of the greatest things a person can do. It is a process that often calls for patience and understanding that very few are equipped with, but the results are truly precious.**

**Requirements: 20 Int, Mnt, and Wis**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Voice**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases the likelihood that someone will understand what you are teaching them**

**This effect is increased by the user's Int, Wis, and Mnt stats**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis and Mnt**

They dismissed the screens after getting out of the lake and drying off. It was then that the big screen they had been waiting for appeared.

**Congratulations! You have reached Level 3!**

**When you level up you are given a choice. Your actions, stats, race, and even the company you keep directly influence said choice. What is the choice? A new skill of course!**

**Battle Lust**

**Description: Throughout history warriors have experienced the phenomena known as battle lust: When a warrior craves battle and would throw himself at impossible odds with boundless energy… or is it insanity?**

**Requirements: Love battle**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: Instant **

**Cost: User must be fighting strong or special opponents**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases Strength, Vitality, and Agility by 20%**

**Special Effects: Repeated activation may cause the player to gain the debuff [Madness]**

**Tail Control**

**Description: You have a special little thing called a tail and with practice, it can be used to do many unique things. One day it might be as good as an arm or a leg.**

**Requirements: Have a Tail**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive (Racial)**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: ½ Str**

**Effects: Gives the user more control over their tail**

**If their tail is a weak point it makes the tail slightly more resilient**

**These effects are increased upon level up**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Survivalist**

**Description: You have lived a solitary life out in the wilderness for many years and survived quite easily. You have an affinity for nature and the ability to defend yourself. You don't just survive, you thrive.**

**Effects: All stats are easier to gain**

**You can only choose one**

"Woah." Bulma breathed as Goku struggled to read the entire thing.

He did not ask for help and Bulma felt a small amount of pride grow within her as he spent several silent minutes reading and, more importantly, trying to understand everything that was on the screen. Eventually, he looked to her for help and she spent some time helping him grasp all of the information.

"I uh… I want **Tail Control**."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, when Grandpa was still alive we would spar a lot and one of the ways he would beat me was to grab my tail. It's been a long time since anyone's grabbed my tail, but that ogre was pretty tough!"

"You know what? I like it. Go crazy."

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed before selecting said skill.

**You have selected Tail Control**

**+2 Agi, Dex, and Per **

Suddenly he experienced a rush of knowledge about his tail and he felt like he was more aware of it than he had ever been before. Goku was surprised because he had definitely used it for many things before, like in the fight with Roshi, but that felt almost amateurish in comparison to now.

"Cool!" he exclaimed as he twisted his tail around with a level of precision that he never had before.

"Alright, that's everything Goku. Now let's see those stats."

"Oh, yeah. Stats!"

**Name: Goku Son**

**Race: ?**

**Lvl: 3 **

**HP: 480/480 (+4.8/s)**

**MP: 10/10 (+0.1/s)**

**KP: 99/99 (+0.099/s)**

**Stats - 409**

**Str: 100**

**Vit: 96**

**Agi: 79**

**Dex: 53**

**Per: 34**

**Int: 2**

**Wis: 2**

**Mnt: 1**

**Fth: 1**

**Aff: 27**

**Luk: 10**

**Chr: 4 **

"I can't wait to find out what your race is… but you know what? I never checked if that does anything! Stats." Bulma said before clicking on her race.

**Name: Bulma Briefs**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 2**

**HP: 145/145 (+1.45/s)**

**MP: 690/690 (+1.6/s)**

**KP: 91/91 (+0.091/s)**

**Stats - 363**

**Str: 20**

**Vit: 29**

**Agi: 19**

**Dex: 31**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 138**

**Wis: 32**

**Mnt: 30**

**Fth: 4**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 12**

**Chr: 28**

**Different races get different benefits and weaknesses**

**Human**

**Being a very simple yet resilient and intelligent race, though lacking in the power department, Humans succeed with general skills.**

**Humans learn Skills/Spells/Masteries/etc. and earn Perks and Special Perks much easier**

**Humans can breed with pretty much anything vaguely humanoid**

"Ah… guess that's how I got **Improvised Crafting** so easily. It's good to know that all of my efforts will be rewarded though. Sky's the limit."

Suddenly, a rumbling noise could be heard echoing through the chamber.

"What the hell?"

"Bulma… I'm hungry."

"Oh jeez… we don't have any more food. Drink some water and try to ignore it. If the next floor is a whole floor, we'll leave and come back later." Bulma checked her watch, it was nearly six. "Tomorrow."

"...okay." Goku acquiesced before going to the lake and gulping massive amounts of water. Bulma swore the water level went down a bit.

"All set? Let's keep moving."

~GG~

The stairs down to the next floor were actually more ornate than the ones leading down from the first floor to the second. It struck Bulma as odd, but when they reached the next floor it made a lot of sense.

First off, the third floor was less of a floor and more of a long hallway. And secondly…. It was an actual dungeon. The walls were just vertical bars of beautiful red wood meant to keep people in. Bulma wasn't even sure how prisoners got in or out, she saw nothing that indicated an entrance on any of the cells.

"Guess we found where he puts all the people he kidnaps." Bulma muttered as she peaked into the cells.

None of them held anyone, but there were three sets of manacles embedded into the far stone wall. They were surprisingly clean and shiny.

The hallway was badly lit, similar to the cave system above, but instead of being lit by naturally luminescent flora small lanterns hung from the ceiling and let off weak light. What made it worse was the way the lanterns swung and let out ominous creaking noises.

The duo walked for several more minutes, slowly getting closer to a closed double-door made with the same red wood as the cell bars that had light shining out of the gaps between it and the wall. It was then that the cells started being filled with people.

The first cell that held a prisoner only had one. They were naked and held uncomfortably off the ground by the manacles which were just high enough that they could not sit. Scars and open wounds festering with sickly yellow pus could be seen covering their body and Bulma wondered how on earth they were alive.

"Bulma… it's a girl." Goku whispered.

"Goku… shut up." was Bulma's answer as she **observe**d the victim.

**Name: Yasu Nakama**

**Race: Human**

**Lvl: 1**

**HP: 5/5 (+0.05/s)**

**MP: 50/50 (+0.25/s)**

**KP: 11/11 (+0.011/s)**

**Stats - 65**

**Str: 5 (1)**

**Vit: 10 (1)**

**Agi: 5 (1)**

**Int: 10**

**Wis: 5**

**Luk: 0**

**Status: Sustained and Dying**

"I guess that's how she's still alive." Bulma said before she clicked on the word "sustained."

**Error!**

**The user's Observe skill is not at a high enough level to see this information**

"Damn… oh well." Bulma shook her head before she continued walking.

"But Bulma, we gotta get that lady out!" Goku protested.

"Goku, we have to beat that Oolong guy first. Would you make them leave the dungeon on their own?"

"I- you're right. Let's go."

The sights did not improve as they got closer to their destination. The cells were filled with naked men and women at various levels of damage and brutalization. A few of them were missing limbs and some were dead. The worse ones were awake. They did not speak, they did not move, Goku could barely hear them breath, but their stares bored into the duo's souls. The worse one was the cell to the left of the door.

"Oh, that reeks." Bulma complained before nearly screaming.

It was the body disposal cell. Twenty or so bodies at various stages of decomposition were piled on top of each other, many of them missing their heads. Bulma held back her breakfast and turned away from the cell, unable to look at it. Goku did not react.

"Goku… knock that door down. Let's kill this guy."

The boy grinned and stood in front of the door before entering a wide stance with his arms pulled back at his sides. Both fists glowed with a faint red hue as he whispered **Janken: Rock** twice. He simultaneously released both punches into the door, which quite literally blew them away with a loud crash.

"What the fuck?" A high pitched, whiny voice screamed.

**You have entered the Dungeon Boss' lair. The Dungeon Boss had increased HP regen.**

An **observe** from Bulma confirmed that the short, bipedal pig standing in front of a table in a weird military was in fact Oolong.

**Name: Oolong**

**Race: Demon (Shapeshifter)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 155/155 (+3.1/s)**

**MP: 595/595 (+4/s)**

**KP: 159/159 (+0.159/s)**

**Stats - 399**

**Str: 23**

**Vit: 31**

**Agi: 29**

**Int: 119**

**Wis: 90**

**Luk: 5**

'He's not as strong as I thought he would be.' Bulma thought as she **observe**d the dark-skinned redhead strapped to the table.

**Name: Akane Otake**

**Race: Half-Human Half-Beastman (Puma) **

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 1/5 (+0.05/s)**

**MP: 115/115 (+0.6/s)**

**KP: 23/23 (+0.023/s)**

**Stats - 311**

**Str: 33 (1)**

**Vit: 36 (1)**

**Agi: 54 (1)**

**Int: 23**

**Wis: 12**

**Luk: 0**

**Status: Deathly Malnourished, Sustained**

Bulma could not react to what she had learned because Goku decided to engage their quarry.

"Who the hell are you people? Ooo, you're hot." The pig asked then complimented Bulma as Goku ran toward him.

Neither responded, instead Goku extended his staff and took a swing at the weak-looking pig. Oolong sneered and suddenly transformed into an eight-foot-tall robot! He then used one of his now-massive arms to block Goku's attack.

**You have dealt 130 blunt damage**

'What the hell?' All three of the combatants thought at the same time.

Goku and Bulma because of how little damage they had dealt, and Oolong because of how much damage they had dealt!

Bulma used **observe** once more on Oolong's new form while Goku swung his weapon again and small turrets popped out of oolong's shoulders and started shooting the monkey boy.

**Name: Oolong**

**Race: Demon (Shapeshifter) (Attack Robot)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 283/405 (+8.1/s)**

**MP: 567/595 (+4/s)**

**KP: 159/159 (+0.159/s)**

**Stats - 399**

**Str: 33**

**Vit: 81**

**Agi: 1**

**Int: 119**

**Wis: 90**

**Luk: 5**

'Interesting.' Bulma thought to herself as she flung **Manabolt**s at the enemy.

**You have dealt 28 magic damage**

Goku attempted to dodge the bullets Oolong's turrets shot, but he took several hits. It did not matter to the boy because he once again struck the demon robot.

**You have taken 50 piercing damage**

**You have dealt 130 blunt damage**

"Shit." came the robot voice of Oolong before he transformed into a large, glowing owl and flew up to the ceiling.

Unfortunately for him, the ceiling was not very tall and the power pole would easily reach him, but he was out of the range of Bulma's magic and his owl form had a lot more maneuverability.

Oolong then successfully dodged Goku's attack and suddenly his eyes glowed brightly.

**You have been confused for 4 seconds**

Goku did not register the screen because he suddenly started looking around randomly as if he was lost. Bulma saw it though and got very scared, but Oolong was not idle. He started raining down what Bulma knew quite well to be Manabolts.

**You have taken 140 magic damage**

The notification scared Bulma, but she knew their opponent was underestimating them. She simply slipped out her uzi and emptied her clip into the bird. No amount of agility was going to save him from the hail of bullets and, surprisingly, it only took one to kill him.

**You have slain a Dungeon Boss [Oolong]**

**Congratulations! You have cleared the dungeon [Oolong's Lair]!**

"Well, that was… underwhelming." Bulma commented as Goku escaped his magic-induced stupor. She was not complaining though, one-on-one Oolong's owl form probably would have killed Goku, easily at that given how Goku would probably fall suspect to that confusion magic thing every time.

As Goku collected himself Bulma walked up to the red-haired half-beastman on the table.

"Uhm, are you there?"

Akane looked warily upon her possibly saviors. The girl was probably close to her in age, but definitely younger, and the boy was clearly a child. Though she knew looks could be deceiving, he was clearly quite strong to put her tormentor's robotic form on the backfoot.

Akane locked her slitted yellow eyes with Bulma and said, "Yes." or at least that was her intention. Her through was so ragged and dry from hours of screaming that all that came out was, "Ye-" before she started coughing violently to the point where blood leaked out.

"Okay, no talking. I can see it in your eyes that you're still here." Bulma then pulled out her water bottle and slowly fed the half-beastman water. "Goku, can you break her out of the restraints?"

Up to that point, Goku had been simply observing the interaction between the two girls, unsure of what he should do.

"Sure."

With 100 strength it was a simple matter to destroy the thick steel manacles that kept Akane strapped to the wooden table she was on. The woman immediately started trying to move, but Bulma put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Woah there!" Bulma started as the naked woman already started wincing from the numerous open wounds on her body. "You are in no shape to move. Drink and I'll start to bandage you." Bulma started rifling through her fanny pack for the right capsule as she turned to her friend once again. "Goku, go see if you can destroy those cell bars and free the other prisoners. And for the love of Kami, be as gentle as possible. They all have 1 HP and you don't want to kill them by accident."

Goku's eyes widened in surprise at the possibility before nodding with determination and exiting the room.

By the time he left Bulma found her medical capsule and opened it on the ground next to her. It was a low capacity capsule because all that it held was a single emergency first aid kit. It was a large kit filled with things Bulma would never use, or at least, she would not have if not for her current situation.

The teen opened the large backpack, that had cost an exorbitant 50,000 zeni, and started digging through it and pulling out what she needed. Alginate dressing, gauze strips and bandages, alcohol, a few debridement tools, pain killers, disinfectant, a face mask, silver dressing, hand sanitizer, rubber gloves, and a stapler. Bulma was no professional, but her parents had forced her to take a class on emergency first aid before they let her go on her trip. Unfortunately, she was not confident that she could reliably treat all of the prisoners. The idea of one of them dying because she was not good enough, already horrified her.

After sanitizing and putting on her gloves Bulma grabbed the pill bottle and brought it to Akane. "Take a few, I've gotta clear up some of your wounds and it's the first time I'm doing it to a real person. It's going to hurt like a bitch."

Akane did not respond, instead, she simply opened her mouth and accepted the two pills Bulma gave her before giving her some water.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to start now. Hopefully, the pills will kick in soon." the teen apologized through her face mask before she got to work.

There were at least twenty wounds that Bulma needed to debride and the only reason they were not bleeding enough to kill Akane was because they had either scabbed over or been covered in pustules.

Akane started screaming at the first scab Bulma had to peel off. It came from a gash underneath the dark-skinned girl's left breast. It was not very large or deep which is why Bulma had chosen it, 'Start off easy.'

What proceeded was an entire hour of Akane's screams and Bulma's careful work. It was revolting, almost as bad as the pile of bodies in the cell outside of the door. The pus smelled like death and all of the scabs were tough to pull off. Disinfecting the wounds helped a bit and dressing them helped even more, but that proved to be an entire puzzle of its own. Some wounds either crossed over other ones or they were too close together to address them one at a time. The worst one was a huge gash on Akane's left thigh that ran from her hip to her knee. It was deep and crisscrossed by several smaller cuts. Ultimately, Bulma had to bandage the entire thigh both front and back.

An hour later when Bulma had finally finished and Akane had fallen unconscious from the constant pain, the teen let out a sigh of relief and looked up to see something she had expected.

**Through a special act, you have created a new skill**

**Emergency First Aid**

**Description: When there are no professionals around to take care of the wounded you can step up. Your skills are not amazing, but you might just save a life.**

**Requirements: 50 Int and 30 Mnt**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: You are better at treating wounds with First Aid**

**Special Effects:**

**+3 Int and 4 Mnt**

'I knew it got easier… better go deal with all of the others.' Bulma sighed again and turned to the door where Goku waited.

He had done his job admirably and did not let a single prisoner die. The wooden cell bars cracked easily beneath his mighty fists which scared some of the captives, but most did not react. Similarly, only five out of the twenty people he had freed reacted to their bonds being removed. The entire ordeal was surprisingly difficult for Goku because of the stinking smell of the various victim's urine and feces. They had been treated like animals

Luckily, all of them were still being sustained, whatever magic that was doing it was not tied to Oolong directly, which allowed Bulma to take her time getting to all of them. Doubly lucky was the fact that Akane had been the one with the worst wound. Clearly she had been a "favorite" of Oolong's. The ordeal took eight hours during which Goku contracted the **Starving** debuff and needed to leave. This presented an opportunity.

"Goku, go out and eat 'til you're full. After that, go to that village and bring as many people as you can. I don't care how late it is and I don't think they will either. Tell them to bring as much food, water, and medical supplies as possible. It's not going to be easy to transport these people out of here… they're so… fragile."

"Okay!" The boy yelled in excitement, happy to finally be able to fill his belly.

Goku did not return with his army of villagers until after Bulma had finished caring for all of the prisoners, netting her another level of **Emergency First Aid**, and fell into a deep sleep. The ordeal had exhausted more so than the trauma of the second floor and its double boss. She dreamt of little boys floating on clouds and magical owls.

~GG~

**AN: Gosh I love writing. All of these chapters have been coming out smooth as butter. I'm sorry if the Oolong fight was a bit of a cop-out, but I had spent a long time crafting Oolong's set, particularly as it pertained to general use, and I really couldn't change things that much more. Honestly, I might just make more boss fights be against more than one person because bosses are still designed using the system. They aren't given special privileges besides whatever I give them for the home-field advantage. There is still a lot I have to figure out when it comes to combat and I hope you guys have patience with me.**

**Grammarly works on Google Docs again so the chapters might be a bit nicer from now on. It's still tricky because the best editor is a real person sitting next to you who can discuss changes that need to be made. After the next chapter, I might do another cleanup of everything. Make more changes and adjustments to little things though I refuse to radically change the story in a way that I have to actually rewrite things, language might be changed.**

**Uhm… I hope you liked it? Like always please leave a thoughtful review.**

**Thx ;)**

**Character sheet**

**Name: Bulma Briefs**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 2**

**HP: 145/145 (+1.45/s)**

**MP: 720/720 (+1.6/s)**

**KP: 99/99 (+0.099/s)**

**Stats - 377**

**Str: 20**

**Vit: 29**

**Agi: 19**

**Dex: 31**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 144**

**Wis: 32**

**Mnt: 38**

**Fth: 4**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 12**

**Chr: 28**

**And a full character sheet for Oolong. I spent a long time making this.**

**Name: Oolong**

**Race: Demon (Shapeshifter)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 155/155 (+1.55/s)**

**MP: 595/595 (+4/s)**

**KP: 159/159 (+0.159/s)**

**Stats - 399**

**Str: 23**

**Vit: 31**

**Agi: 29**

**Dex: 24**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 119**

**Wis: 90**

**Mnt: 38**

**Fth: -33**

**Aff: 0**

**Luk: 5**

**Chr: 0**

**Skills**

**Transform**

**Description: Grants the user the ability to transform into various things. The user gains power relative to the transformation target.**

**Requirements: Be Taught with 100 Int or Be Born With It**

**Level: 7**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: Variable**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Grants the user access to a new transformation at levels, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10**

**In order to learn a transformation, the user must subdue and dissect the target of their desires at least ten times, this includes inanimate objects. Knowledge is power.**

**Higher levels with decrease the activation time by 0.5 seconds each.**

**Higher-level transformations decrease the cost, cooldown, and increase the effects**

**Special Effects: If the user is an innate ability user (born with the ability) every level of the ability will grant them a new transformation**

**Multi-Cast**

**Description: Allows the user to cast multiple spells at the same time.**

**Requirements: 50 Int, Wis, and Mnt**

**Level: 3**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Allows the user to cast one more spell per level**

**The cost of the spells is increased by 35%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Spells**

**Manabolt**

**Description: A simple spell that teaches people the basics of magic. Very weak.**

**Requirements: 20 Int**

**Level: 6**

**Type: Projectile**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: 10 MP**

**Range: 15 ft (4.5 m)**

**Damage: 35**

**Effects: N/A**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Confusion**

**Description: A simple mental spell that causes the victim to act randomly.**

**Requirements: 20 Int and Mnt**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Mental Attack**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 40 MP**

**Duration: 4 seconds**

**Range: 30 ft (9.1 m) and Line of Sight**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Higher levels increase the Duration by 1 second**

**Higher levels increase the severity of the target's confusion**

**Special Effects: Special Successes may stun the target**

**Demonic Touch**

**Description: A special spell known only to Demons this spell drains the life of the target and adds it to the user's own.**

**Requirements: Be a Demon**

**Level: 5**

**Type: Drain**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: 1 MP per second**

**Range: Touch**

**Damage: 5 HP per second**

**Effects: user heals HP proportional to the damage dealt**

**Special Effects: 1% chance per activation to gain 1 stat from the target's highest stat**

**Martial Arts**

**Reckless Charge**

**Description: The user sprints in a direction ignoring everyone and everything in their path.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 4 (variable)**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: 45 feet (13.7 m)**

**Damage: Vit + 40**

**Effects: The user takes damage equal to 24% of the damage dealt**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Masteries**

**Demonic Magic Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of the extremely rare and equally powerful demon magics.**

**Requirements: Be a Demon or ?**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by demonic magics weapons by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Transformations**

**Ogre**

**Description: The Ogre is the workhorse of the Demon realm. They are sturdy beings with moderate strength and low intellect allowing them to be easily controlled.**

**Requirements: Transform, Dissect 10 Ogres**

**Level: 6**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 5 MP per second**

**Cooldown: 35 seconds**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Raises the user's Str and Vit by 30.**

**Reduces the user's Int and Wis by 25**

**Grants the Perk [Thick Skin]**

**Cannot cast spells**

**Special Effects: Summons an Ogre Mace. The higher the level the better quality the mace.**

**Attack Robot**

**Description: This robot was once used by a bygone nation to bolster their armies. They are walking tanks, but the most basic versions are not much more useful than a regular soldier.**

**Requirements: Transform, Dissect 10 Attack Robots**

**Level: 5**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 32 MP per second**

**Cooldown: 3 minutes 20 seconds**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Raises the user's Str by 10 and Vit by 50**

**Reduces the user's Agi by 30 and Dex by 60**

**Grants the Perk [Heavy Armor]**

**Cannot cast spells**

**Special Effects: Attack Robots come equipped with two shoulder-mounted turrets that deal 10 damage per bullet**

**Bull**

**Description: A simple, yet intimidating animal. The bull is a useful animal of labor but has its uses in a fight.**

**Requirements: Transform, Dissect 10 Bulls**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 7 MP per second**

**Cooldown: 45 seconds**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases Str, Vit, and Agi by 20**

**Reduces Dex, Int, and Wis by 35**

**Grants the Martial Art [Reckless Charge]**

**Cannot cast spells**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Rocket**

**Description: The rocket is a high-speed mechanical mode of transportation.**

**Requirements: Transform, Dissect 10 Rockets**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 7 MP per second**

**Cooldown: 45 seconds**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases Agi and Dex by 80**

**Cannot cast spells**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Fly**

**Description: A tiny insignificant creature.**

**Requirements: Transform, Dissect 10 Flies**

**Level: 4**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 1 MP per second**

**Cooldown: 7 seconds**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases Dex and Agi by 18**

**Reduces Str and Vit to 1**

**Cannot cast spells**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Occult Owl**

**Description: A special breed of owl that has been mutated by living near a high concentration of mana or within a dungeon. These owls are predators of the night and are known to cast spells.**

**Requirements: Transform, Dissect 10 Occult Owls**

**Level: 3**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 80 MP per second**

**Cooldown: 8 minutes 30 seconds**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases Agi, Int, Wis and Mnt by 30**

**Decreases Str and Vit 40**

**Grants the Perk [Night Vision]**

**Grants the Skill [Multi-Cast]**

**Special Effects: Increases MP regeneration by 50%**

**Human**

**Description: One of the most tenacious and versatile of the intelligent races Humans, unfortunately, suffer from being a bit squishier than their peers.**

**Requirements: Transform, Dissect 10 Humans**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 2 seconds**

**Cost: 10 MP per second**

**Cooldown: 1 minute**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases Chr by 5**

**Special Effects: None**

**Perks**

**Demonic Lifeblood**

**Description: Being a demon has its uses.**

**Effects: Naturally gain Mnt stats easier**

**You cannot gain Faith stats**

**Grants the spell [Drain Life]**

**Reduces damage taken by most Magical attacks by 10%**

**Increases damage taken by Holy attacks by 100%**

**Thick Skin**

**Description: Many creatures are born with a particularly thick skin that is useful for defense.**

**Effects: Reduces damage from physical attacks by 10%**

**Heavy Armor**

**Description: Good armor can save a man's life and yours is the extra special natural sort.**

**Effects: Reduces damage from physical attacks by 40%**

**Night Vision**

**Description: You have highly evolved eyes that allow you to see in almost all conditions.**

**Effects: You can see in the dark**

**Debuffs**

**Lascivious**

**Description: Your lust has taken hold of your life and negatively impacts it.**

**Effect: When the user can see something it is intensely attracted to, Int and Wis are reduced by 20 and the target of the user's lust becomes the center of the user's attention no matter the situation.**

**Special Perks**

**None**

**Items**

**Ogre Mace**

**Description: Ogres are born with a weapon by their side. Yours is a mace!**

**Type: Weapon**

**Quality: Uncommon (variable)**

**Damage: Str + 60**

**Defense: Reduces damage by 20%**

**Durability: 50/50**

**Enhancements: N/A**

**Things that are indicated in a Transformation's effects are not applicable to Oolong with him being in the necessary form**

**You'll notice that Lascivious did not affect Oolong, that's because he has more… specific tastes. Hence the states of his prisoners.**

**Also this. No, I'm not doing it for every form. Only because you couldn't see this one.**

**Name: Oolong**

**Race: Demon (Shapeshifter) (Occult Owl)**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 5/5 (+0.1/s)**

**MP: 591/745 (+6/s)**

**KP: 189/189 (+0.189/s)**

**Stats - 399**

**Str: 1**

**Vit: 1**

**Agi: 59**

**Int: 149**

**Wis: 120**

**Luk: 5**


	6. Aftermath

**AN: I wonder how many people who read the previous iteration of this story are reading it now? This is obviously my highest traffic story right now at almost 500 people today and yesterday, but the original version has had 40 people? I wonder what people are looking up to find the original and not this unless they're reading both. Also, shout out to the guy in Denmark.**

**A review complained about the numerous stat and skill information in the last chapter… really? I just don't think they like litRPG type stories because they almost always have stat info heavy chapters from time to time. I also mentioned a dump would be coming in the next chapter in the AN of chapter 4… **

**Speaking of, I always say this in all of my stories, but please make an account if you're a guest. It's so easy and I prefer to actually be able to talk to people than shout out them from an Author's Note that might be ignored.**

**Another thing I wonder about: how many people read the entirety of my Author's Notes?**

**Kinda a big/small thing, I don't know, I had never read the Jaco story. I was only aware of what it was about. Apparently, the last chapter has the Briefs visiting the doctor's island ten years after Tights' adventure. This is right before Dragon Ball begins and they mention that Bulma has graduated college. So… I might have to change some dialogue from earlier, but this is honestly great. Now I can do more with her because I thought she would be in school, which admittedly is the implication in Dragon Ball since she says she's on her summer vacation and only has a month to find all the Dragon Balls, in fact, I'm pretty sure she says she's in high school during the Red Ribbon Army saga. Oh, long-running manga and their retcons. Gotta love 'em. Admittedly, it's perfectly believable to the point where I wonder if I low balled Bulma's Intelligence stat and skills, but I don't think I'll change them.**

**Bulma's last name is Brief not Briefs and I hate everything.**

**Beastman/men are now Beastkin. Being a gendered word made me want to say Beastwoman/women and all four of those words don't roll off the tongue as well as Beastkin does to me. I've already made the changes, just be aware of it moving forward.**

**Anyway, on with the chapter.**

~GG~

Chapter 6: Aftermath

Goku flew quickly to the nearby village after having gorged himself on dinosaur meat. It was nearly midnight so almost none of the villagers were awake. That did not help Goku at all! He needed to bring them to the dungeon and the fastest way to wake somebody up was a loud noise.

"HEY!" the monkey boy screamed at the top of his lungs as he lazily looped over the village. "OOLONG IS DEAD! WE NEED HELP WITH THE PRISONERS!"

At first, very little people were stirred, but after repeating the message twice nearly all of the villagers were awake and out of the house. The only people who ignored him had not lost anyone to Oolong and frankly did not care, a few of them got up to support their friends though.

"Bulma said she needs food, water, and uhm… uh… medical supplies! All of the prisoners are super weak. I don't think they can walk." Goku informed the slowly growing crowd in front of him.

There were no leaders in the village, all of the families simply supported each other and survived off of the land. But such a petty thing like a lack of leadership would slow them down, they were frontiersmen! Within half an hour each and every villager had collected at least one of the items Goku had asked for and more. Even those who had no connection to the kidnappings came out, they were a close-knit community and had shared in the sorrow of their neighbors. A fire burned in every eye.

"Follow me!" Goku instructed as he led the mob into the darkness.

Bulma was not awoken by the small army of villagers that Goku had escorted through the dungeon and the villagers had no interest in waking her up. The moment they saw the sleeping girl, sprawled out amidst her first aid supplies, they realized that she was to thank for the survival of their missing children.

There were several hours of tearful reunions and painful grieving as people found their children either tortured and hanging onto life by a thread or dead. The entire thing was horribly awkward for Goku who was lucky enough to have his Grandpa in the four-star-ball he carried with him everywhere. The boy missed him of course and Goku doubted he would ever forget the pulped body of his Grandpa crushed into the earth by a giant foot, but he was not all that sad about it.

When the villagers and freed prisoners had started calming down they quickly got to work. Most of them wanted to leave as soon as possible and had brought stretchers made of two poles and linen to carry people with. None of the prisoners could walk under their own power so those families left along with the people who had no family members kidnapped.

A few of the older men who had children among the dead organized themselves and started sorting through the bodies. It was a sordid, painful affair. About a quarter of the bodies were completely unrecognizable, their flesh far too decayed to have many distinct features. They could not even identify them through possessions since Oolong had stripped them of everything they had. The worst part was matching decapitated heads to their proper bodies, apparently, the demon had a certain fondness for decapitation.

Once the bodies were organized and sheets were laid upon them they were burned. A simple and respectful funeral pyre for the more than thirty dead, most of them not old enough to be considered adults.

By the time that the bodies were burned the villagers who had stayed felt comfortable enough to move their kin and take care of them at home. The entire event took six hours during which Goku fell asleep on his Flying Nimbus, earning him several coos and awes at his cuteness as he gently floated around. It was at this time that Bulma finally began stirring from her sleep, the dungeon almost completely empty and smelled of smoke and burnt flesh.

Breathing deeply as she awoke from her slumber Bulma began hacking and coughing as the smoke entered her lungs.

"Oh kami, why does it smell so bad?" she complained.

Goku had no such problems, the Flying Nimbus had floated down to the ground automatically to protect its rider.

Once she had recovered from her painful wake-up Bulma put on a mask and checked out the hallway leading to Oolong's room. Goku was easily noticed floating down the hall, but his snoring made her unwilling to wake him up so she left him alone. Bulma quickly discovered where the smoke came from when she looked at the morgue cell.

'Good for them… I guess.' Bulma thought as she trekked through the long hallway.

Death was not something the teen with a college degree had to deal with much in her life. She had never met her grandparents, her few friends were perfectly healthy, and neither her dad, mom, nor sister was in any danger… well, Tights might be if she hangs out with Jaco more. Not to mention her family was rich and famous making them obvious targets…

'Why do we never have problems like those?' Bulma wondered ignorant of her father's horrifying array of self-defense and home protection weapons that he built into their house.

The past week had brought her closer to death than ever before and yet no one had died. The idea terrified her.

'Dungeon's clear, the villagers got everyone out and burned the bodies, the last thing there is left to do is search the lair itself.' Bulma shook her head at the absurd reality she lived in. Even knowing about aliens thanks to Jaco, the reality of demons still felt like a horrible dream. 'I knew I should have brought my ray gun, but no! "It's too dangerous!" dad says. You could radically reduce an entire population or destroy an environment!" he complains. Well, now I'm fighting demons dad… fuck.'

Dismissing her mental diatribe Bulma surveyed the room she had returned to.

'No one came to get her?' was her first thought since Akane was still asleep on the… experimentation table.

The girl was still sleeping soundly despite the light smoke in the room so Bulma ignored her and walked up to her bag.

'Better clean this up and put it away… it saved lives today. I saved lives today.' The thought was equal parts scary and wonderful. 'I really saved lives.'

Wiping away tears brought upon by the sudden surge of emotion Bulma finished packing her huge first aid backpack and ignored the loot Oolong dropped in favor of looking around the room. It was relatively simple, the wall with the door was completely barren as was half of both of the adjacent walls. The other halves, as well as most of the back wall, was dominated by cabinets separated by a dark, stone counter and about two feet of free space.

A quick perusal of all of the cabinets netted Bulma nothing but more mental scars. They were filled to the brim with jars full of liquid containing body parts from various creatures. Her morbid curiosity compelled her to **observe** them revealing them to be human, occult owl, bull, ogre, and fly bits. The only other things that the cabinets held were an assortment of random parts.

'Probably from his robot form or something.' Bulma guessed. She did not touch any of it.

The only thing left to search was the small red door that was on the back wall, it was the only separation of the shelves that existed and the teen feared that it was Oolong's personal room.

'I hope there isn't more fucked up shit in there.'

The door was unlocked and luckily the room within was not some sort of nightmare realm. It was rather luxurious, the small room dominated by a king-sized bed with bed curtains of all things. Even _she_ did not have bed curtains… at least not since she had outgrown her short princess phase. There were two nightstands, one for each side, and a large dresser on the left side of the room. But the piece that caught Bulma's eye was the large chest at the foot of the bed.

"Please have something good." she begged and at that moment a screen appeared.

**You have completed the Quest [Slay the Mighty Demon Oolong!]**

**Slay the Mighty Demon Oolong!**

**Description: The people of the region have been terrorized by a shapeshifting demon called Oolong for the past few months. In exchange for a dragon ball, they have asked you to defeat the mighty demon and free their daughters.**

**Objectives: Defeat Oolong, Save Captives, Save Akane**

**Bonus Objectives: Perfect Clear the Dungeon**

**Quest Completion Rewards: +2 to Vit and Wis, Honored Status with Villagers, Demon Realm Gate, Party Member**

**Bonus Rewards: Gold Chest, Random Tier 3 Spell Book**

**Quest Failure: Failure to complete Quest [Hunt for the Dragon Balls], Death**

**The Quest and has been completed perfectly +2 Luck**

"That's why Akane is still here… but to think that the game would give entire party members… that's insane. Wait… is she even real?"

**Yes**

"Oh… thanks." If at any time the game was going to blatantly answer her questions this was one of the best ones. "Let's see what's in there!"

Rubbing her hands conspiratorially Bulma walked up to the large, gold chest and opened it up. A shining white light rose up from the seemingly empty chest before a window appeared in front of it and pictures started rapidly spinning like… a…

"Slot machine? We better not get something crappy!" the teen complained.

The spinning eventually stopped and the genius' interest was piqued when the item it stopped on looked like a pair of earrings. The window then disappeared and the light started shining brighter to the point that Bulma had to close her eyes. When it faded the light left behind a very expensive looking pair of diamond drop earrings that floated down to hover just above the rim of the open chest. With a small amount of hesitance, Bulma stepped closer and then reached out and grabbed the earrings.

"Beautiful." she muttered as she rolled them around in her hand. "But what do you have to offer? **Observe**."

**Witch's Petals**

**Description: These magical earrings created by the paranoid witch Rose can be fed mana to create a small, invisible shield around the wearer's head. This shield blocks all damage equal to the amount of mana that it holds. Unfortunately, its small size gives it a poor conversion rate. Plus they're super cute!**

**Type: Equipment**

**Quality: Epic**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 500/500**

**Enhancements: +5 Charisma, 500 mana capacity, 10% conversion rate**

**Capacity: 0/500**

"That's pretty great… and absolutely perfect for me! Now I don't have to duck behind this shell… as much." Between the shell and the earrings she only had to worry about her front and legs which were covered by turning and crouching as before. Bulma breathed a sigh of relief knowing that her most vulnerable area had good protection. "But what's this conversion rate?"

Getting no prompt the teen decided to start pumping mana into the earrings when she realized that she had no idea how to do that! On a limb, she decided to mimic the process she used to create manabolt and try to channel that energy into the earrings. Instead, all she got was a face full of raw magic.

**You have inflicted 15 magic damage to yourself**

"That… really didn't hurt that much." Bulma noted, the attack felt more like a large water balloon. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed when she realized her attack had come from her hands… the same ones that were holding the earrings. A quick **observe** found that the earrings still had the same amount of durability.

"Huh… N/A for defense but they took absolutely no damage from a straight-up attack? Weird."

Pushing past that Bulma had to come to terms with the fact that she had no idea how to push her mana into the earrings. She was not discouraged, Bulma Brief had a college degree in Robotics at the age of sixteen she was not a slouch. Be it intricate and delicate mechanical parts or the mystic arts she was sure she could figure it out.

"Alright, I'm missing the spellbook and… sweet kami the Demon Realm Gate. I don't think I've ever hated the series of words more."

The idea of traveling to wherever Oolong and his henchmen had come from was absolutely horrifying to the genius. She had not missed the fact that all of their races had said Lesser Demon and Oolong's had simply said Demon. The implication of Greater Demons and even creatures beyond that was obvious.

Putting off finding the Demon Realm Gate Bulma returned to the main room to look through the pile of loot the shapeshifting monster had left behind. Zeni was around as expected and this time there was enough to actually buy a meal in a restaurant. More than ever before, but still chump change to the rich heir. Disgustingly enough there was a small, curled pigtail.

**Oolong's Tail**

**Description: A moderately powerful regent taken from the shapeshifting demon Oolong. Very useful in various potions and rituals.**

**Type: Material**

**Quality: Unique**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 10/10**

**Enhancements: N/A**

Bulma almost threw it away, but it was still an item and like a lot of the things they had found in the dungeon it was useful in some way. Even if she could not do anything with it at the moment. The next thing that caught her eye was a small rock with a rune etched in it that looked vaguely familiar.

**Demon Realm Gate Key**

**Description: A key for opening the Demon Realm Gate. The rune etched upon it means "open."**

**Type: Key**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: N/A**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 10/10**

**Enhancements: N/A**

"Huh, I wonder if this organically came from Oolong or from the Quest Rewards?" Bulma mused as she tucked the stone into her left pocket.

A bloody knife had been partially lying on top of the key and it revealed… many things.

**Oolong's Favorite Knife**

**Description: What was once a simple bread knife has been repeatedly bathed in blood by the sadistic hands of The Demon Oolong. His actions have twisted and warped this kitchen utensil into a weapon capable of sawing through bone without much difficulty.**

**Type: Knife**

**Quality: Unique**

**Damage: 30 + 0.1*Agi physical**

**Defense: -5 physical**

**Durability: 20/20**

**Enhancements: [Blood Frenzy]**

**[Blood Frenzy]: When bathed in blood this weapon repairs itself and gains an extra 10 physical damage. If bathed in enough blood it may grow stronger.**

"I'm melting this. Next."

The teen nearly squealed when she picked up a spellbook.

**Channeling the Aether: Mana Bomb**

"Oh shit… that sounds very dangerous."

Unable to control herself Bulma immediately opened the book and started reading. She quickly realized that the spell was beyond her capabilities given the language the book used and reliance on prior knowledge, but only barely. Upon closing the book a small window appeared.

**Requirements: 150 Intelligence**

Bulma blinked. "I am very close to that." She did not bother putting it away. She now had a mission.

The last thing that had been left behind was a simple piece of not quite paper, given the way it felt in her hands, that seemed to have a letter written upon it.

Dearest Oolong,

I hope this letter finds you well. Mother and Father still miss you terribly even after all these years, but I know you had to leave. I am sending this because there is a reunion coming up in a few months, nothing huge, just Mother's side of the family and we all wanted to make sure you would be able to come. It's at Uncle Grebuhel's castle and that means we get to swim in a pool. I for one cannot wait for it.

See you soon,

Wigoglo

"…huh." Bulma did not quite know what to think about it. "This better not be some stupid foreshadowing or something and I definitely don't want a-" The girl looked around with shifty eyes. "Journey or Adventure." After a few seconds passed and no Quest prompt appeared the teen breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

With all of the loot sorted and put away, except for the earrings that she was already wearing, the rock in her pocket, and the spellbook in her hands Bulma turned to the last thing left in the room. Or rather the person.

Akane Otake, half-beastkin, half-human; an anomaly. Bulma was aware of the fact that she was not the most worldly of women, being only sixteen and having spent most of those years studying or tinkering in a lab she did not have all that many connections outside of her family, but even she knew about the unspoken separation between humans and beastkin.

It was not quite racism, that was definitely a part of it, but beastkin were not treated as second class citizens, they were not denied rights of any kind, they seemed to be employed without judgment, hell, the president was a beastkin, but you rarely ever see human/beastkin couples. Before today Bulma had never before seen the progeny of a human/beastkin couple and was very confused why the two races did not get together more often.

Akane was gorgeous. Even malnourished and dirty her hair was a beautiful, deep red, her dark brown skin practically glowed in the light, a fact that Bulma found oxymoronic but nonetheless beautiful, and she was tall. Like… a lot taller than herself. She was not about to measure the still sleeping woman, but Bulma guessed her height to be around six feet. Much more than her 5'5" and absolutely towering over shortstack's four feet… she had not measured him either. The last thing that Bulma noted was that despite the fact that they had clearly withered away, Akane's muscles looked like they could pack quite a punch. Which made sense given the stats she had seen earlier. She chose to ignore the woman's prodigious assets both on top and below, Bulma was NOT an insecure teenager.

Not wanting to awaken the half-beastkin from her much-needed slumber Bulma decided to look for the Demon Realm Gate.

"Why am I doing this?" the genius muttered, but her curiosity could not be quenched.

The rune made it fairly obvious where she had to go, so after walking for half an hour Bulma arrived at the horrible rune room they used to solve the wall puzzle. It looked the same, blood, guts, and bones were everywhere and that little table with the knife on it.

"If I have to sacrifice people to open you I'm not doing it you hear me?" she told the rune circle at her feet.

When it did not respond, Bulma was nearly expecting an angry pulse of magic or something, she pulled out the key. Immediately a prompt appeared.

**Would you like to use the Demon Realm Gate?**

**[Y/N]?**

"No."

Now the teen knew for certain that this was where she and Goku could enter the demon realm… if they ever lost their collective minds of course. Curiosity sated Bulma tucked the key away, grabbed the weapon, and left the disturbing room. If she never came back again, it would be too soon.

~GG~ 

Akane's eyes opened slowly. The bright lights of the room she had been in for several days now did not make for a pleasant wake-up call. Her arms and muscles stiff, she decided to stretch out and was surprised to find that she was not restrained in any way. As such, she closed her eyes tightly as she stretched luxuriously and let out a massive yawn. An observer might comment that the act had been distinctly cat-like and they would be right, she was a Puma Beastkin after all. It was at the apex of her stretch that Akane became aware of the numerous wounds littering her body and a rush of memories startled her out of her wake-up procedures.

Two weeks ago she had been hunting in a mostly uninhabited mountain when she came across a little bipedal pig wearing some sort of military uniform. Akane had not been a part of civilization for nearly a decade, but she found him to be quite odd. The strangeness did not deter her from approaching him though, there was no way such a small creature could possibly be a threat to her after all. She was an amazon of the forest and there was nothing that she could not hunt.

The pig's sneer was uncomfortable, to say the least, but she had not been prepared in the slightest when he suddenly transformed into a large bull and rammed her into a tree. Stunned as she was she was unable to retaliate when the bull transformed into an ogre and swung at her head with his mace.

All Akane knew was darkness until she woke up chained to a wall in a cell. Soon after… the dissecting started and time became irrelevant. Life was a fugue state of pain and unconsciousness, but she refused to die. She was a predator, a queen of the night, and there was no way she was going to die tortured at the hands of an evil piggy. At some point, it became easier to deal with, not that she let her captor know.

Akane did not know how long she had slept, but she now remembered the sounds of battle and the teenage girl that cared for her afterward. It took a moment to register, even after stretching without restraint, but she was free and her tormentor dead.

The beastkin was broken out of her reverie by a voice. "Watcha doin'?"

The redhead's eyes flew open and she blinked a few times at what she saw. A small boy, no more than eight years old, was looking at her with wide, curious eyes. His hair was unnaturally styled in large spikes and he wore a set of leather armor that no one would wear in modern times. The oddest part though was the monkey tail slowly wagging about behind him.

'Is he like me? No. He does not have other beastkin features like ears or eyes, though the hair might be hiding them…'

"What are you?" Akane did not want to leave such things ambiguous again lest see go from one captor to another.

Goku tilted his head in confusion. "I'm a boy."

Akane shook her head negatively. "No, I mean what is your race? You are not human nor are you half-beastkin. What are you?" she used her most piercing stare on the boy.

Goku's lack of awareness easily deflected her attempt at intimidation. "Question marks… uhh… I mean, I dunno."

The redhead was bewildered, to say the least. "Did your parents not tell you?"

"I dunno never met 'em, I think they abandoned me… and if Grampa Gohan knew he never said so."

"Ah…" Akane felt bad bringing up such painfully memories… until she realized that the boy clearly thought nothing of it. "Where is the blue-haired girl?"

"…you mean Bulma? I dunno."

Akane rolled her eyes. The boy was quite… simple. "Well, I want to find her and thank her for dressing my wounds. I would have died otherwise."

"Yeah, she did that for everybody… but there were still a bunch of dead people."

The half-beastkin small snippets of memory in which she saw people chained in cells, but they were too vague to hold onto.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Goku shrugged.

Sitting up slowly, many of her wounds were quite tender and raw and could open back up, Akane let her legs dangle off the edge of the table. She was in pain, the movement reminding her of her current state in a way that the earlier stretch had not, or maybe she had ignored it. Letting out a shuddering breath Akane moved to get off the table but was stopped by a new voice.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving!" Bulma yelled from the doorway.

Akane quirked her left eyebrow before getting off the table in defiance… and wincing in pain because of it.

"As you can see-"

"You are still hurt. Your legs are shaking." Bulma emphasized the point by pointing at said legs.

"…Fine."

Both Bulma and Goku had to help the woman get back onto Oolong's operating table and once they did Bulma redressed her wounds, luckily only a few had been badly aggravated by her movements.

Akane observed the teenage girl as she once again took care of her. "Why so helpful?"

Bulma blinked in surprise at the question. "Why not?"

"It's not an average person that has their name on two different items of clothing. Why are you even here?"

"It's just for identification ya' know. And we're here to get a dragon ball."

"Dragon ball?"

"Yeah, magic wish-granting balls. The little guy and I are on a quest to get 'em."

"Why tell me?"

"Because I want you to come with."

Akane would have done a double-take if she had not been laying back and talking to the ceiling. "At the risk of sounding like a broken record… why?"

'Can't say it was because a quest said you would…' "I think you're a good fit. Big, strong, hopefully, a local. Also… none of the villagers who came to get the prisoners we freed came to get you. I was asleep the entire time, but I probably would have gotten up if someone came in here, but no one did. Maybe I feel a little responsible for the woman whose life I saved."

"…Thank you." Akane said softly. It had been a while since anyone had cared for her as this stranger did.

"Not a problem, so what's your name?" Bulma asked, not wanting to be rude by just whipping it out randomly.

"Akane."

"Just Akane?"

"…Yeah."

"Alright, I'm Bulma Brief. You may have heard of me."

Akane squinted as she racked her brain for the name, unfortunately, nothing came to mind. She had been in the wild for a long time.

"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

"What's the point of that perk if it hasn't worked even once?" Bulma grumbled under her breath. None of the villagers had recognized her either. "I was just curious. But hey, you didn't say if you were okay with coming with us." she asked as she finished changing all of the bandages.

"I'll go with you. A quest sounds more interesting than not."

"Awesome, Goku, can you invite her to the party?"

Said boy had been twiddling his thumbs, literally, as he waited for Bulma to finish. Perking up when his name was called he immediately did what she had asked.

"**Invite: Akane**."

Akane nearly jumped off the table when a screen suddenly appeared in front of her.

**You have been invited to join Goku Son's party. Do you accept?**

**[Y/N]**

"What sorcery is this? I will not be freed from one demon to serve another."

"I'm not a demon! We just kicked a bunch of demon asses!"

Bulma flailed her arms in panic. "Oh, Kami no! It's just an ability Goku has. It lets him, and everyone in his _party_, see the world differently. It's basically a superpower."

"Yet he does not know his race."

"I-" Bulma was taken aback slightly by the retort. For all they knew, Goku might be a demon. "That… might be possible, but it might not be." Bulma leaned in to whisper in Akane's ear. "Between you and me he's too stupid to do anything even if he was one."

Akane shot Goku a wary look before slowly pressing 'Y' on the screen in front of her. At first, she was going to say that nothing happened, but then she saw words floating above the heads of her new companions.

**Goku Son Lvl: 3**

**Bulma Brief Lvl: 2**

"Huh…"

"I don't know if you've ever played a videogame, but it's kinda like that."

"I have not."

"Me neither!" Goku added.

"To be honest I've only played a couple of phone games. Never a proper videogame. But we've figured out how to use it as we went. For example, if you way the word 'stats' a screen pops up showing you your stats. They're basically a numerical representation of how much… stuff you have. I say stuff because it measures, physical, mental, and metaphysical properties like strength, intelligence, and luck."

"Interesting. Stats."

**Name: Akane Otake**

**Race: Half-Beastkin (Puma) Half-Human**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: (180/180 (+1.8/s)) [5/5 (+0.05/s)]**

**MP: 115/115 (+0.6/s)**

**KP: (58/58 (+0.058/s)) [36/36 (+0.036/s)]**

**Stats - 311**

**Str: 33 (1)**

**Vit: 36 (1)**

**Agi: 54 (1)**

**Dex: 51 (1)**

**Per: 38**

**Int: 23**

**Wis: 12**

**Mnt: 10**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 39**

**Luk: 0**

**Chr: 15**

"Ah… that makes sense." Bulma said when she looked at Akane's full stat sheet.

"What does? I'm guessing those ones are bad."

"Yeah, let I'll explain the stats…"

Bulma proceeded to spend half an hour going through the game's definition of the stats during which Goku got bored and went off to explore the now empty dungeon on his cloud. The explanation came to a halt when she got to Akane's race.

**Hybrid**

**Hybrids are unique in that they can gain any number of benefits from the races of their parents. This can range from a single benefit to all of them.**

**As a half-human/half-beastkin woman, you receive the following benefits:**

**Being a very simple yet resilient and intelligent race, though lacking in the power department, Humans succeed with general skills.**

**You learn Skills/Spells/Masteries/etc. and earn Perks and Special Perks much easier**

**You can breed with pretty much anything vaguely humanoid**

**Beastkin are an ancient offshoot of the human race who dabbled in transformation magic that they should not have. Millenia later they are their own distinct species whose greatest strengths often align with the animal they are most similar to.**

**Grants the Special Perk [Animal Instinct]**

**All Beastkin more easily gain Per and Aff**

**As a Puma, you gain Str and Agi**

**Congratulations. In this case, you have gained every benefit from your parents' races**

**Something to note is that hybrids can only ever be of two races meaning the child of a couple with three or four races between them will only receive two of them.**

"That's… unfair." Bulma complained.

Akane could not help the pride that grew within her upon reading everything. She was amazing. The zero in luck still irked her though.

"Well, I think it's time to get moving. I wanna see if you can ride the Flying Nimbus. Otherwise, we'll have to spend the night. Luckily that oolong guy had a pretty nice bed." Turning away from her patient Bulma walked to the doorway and screamed, "Goku, come back here!"

A minute later no one appeared and Bulma's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I knew I should have made him stick close. Oh well. Let's try to get you to the bed… oh, also, do you think you're good to wear clothes yet?" she asked as she stood next to Akane's table.

Bulma's question finally made the half-beastkin aware of her nudity, something she did not normally think about hence her lack of reaction despite having company.

"I'm not sure. What do you think doctor?" she answered as Bulma helped her stand up.

"Oh, I'm not a-" the teen shook her head. "Look at you, making jokes. Honestly, it's a question of whether or not my biggest stuff can even fit you. How tall are you?"

"I haven't measured in years, but my guess is a little over six feet."

Bulma sucked in air through closed teeth. "Yeah, you'd be lucky if one of my more flowy summer dresses even cover your ass given your… bust."

Akane laughed, the first time in what felt like years, at the teen's words. "Better than nothing." The redhead thought for a moment. "Why didn't your little friend, Geeku, react?"

Bulma could not stop her laugh. "His name is Goku, and he has this crazy debuff, oh we gotta look at yours, that he got because he broke his head as a little kid. Brain damage I'm sure. It says he's incapable of romantic love and given how he's lived his whole life in the mountains, mostly by himself, I don't think he's capable of sexual attraction."

"Weird… and sad."

"Right, I was originally going to have this… stupid wish, but now I want to use it to heal him. Not to mention, in this game we now live in more numbers is good and that debuff is crazy. We'll fix your stats too."

"Thank you… again."

"Bah, it's fine. Besides, you can't fight if you're all ones." she responded as she laid the redhead into bed.

"Still-"

"It's fine, now that you're comfy say 'skills' and 'perks' to bring up those screens."

"Alright, skills. Perks.

**Skills**

**Stealth**

**Description: You are skilled at blending in with your surroundings to stay hidden from sight. Your footsteps are light and your movements precise to ensure that no one ever hears you coming.**

**Requirements: 40 Dex and 20 Per**

**Level: 3**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Makes it more difficult for people to see or hear you**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Tracking**

**Description: You are adept at following a trail left by your prey… or someone you're looking for. You can read the earth and know the scent to stay on target.**

**Requirements: 20 Per and Aff**

**Level: 3**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Line of Sight**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: The user is more perceptive of evidence left behind by their target**

**A target can be set making tracking them to be easier**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Animal Awareness**

**Description: The user pushes the limits of their senses to the very maximum to understand the world around them.**

**Requirements: Be a Beast**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Active/Sustained**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: 10 meters**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: The user perceives the world around them and can sense all manner of activity**

**Lasts for 10 seconds**

**One minute cooldown**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Spells**

**None**

**Martial Arts**

**Sneak Attack**

**Description: An attack from out of nowhere meant to deal as much damage in a single strike.**

**Requirements: Stealth Skill and 20 Agi and Dex**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Passive**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by attacks by 20%**

**The user must be concealed from the enemy for this martial art to work.**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Rend**

**Description: The user uses their claws to rip their enemies apart.**

**Requirements: Have Claws and 20 Str**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Touch**

**Damage: ½ Str and ½ Dex**

**Effects: Causes the [Bleed] status**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Masteries**

**Dagger Mastery**

**Description: Tracks the user's ability to use daggers effectively.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 2**

**Effects: Increases damage dealt by daggers by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Bestial Combat Mastery**

**Description: Being in touch with the beast within your attacks and movements are powerful and graceful. You can effectively use your natural weapons, such as claws, to tear your opponents to shreds. Fighting is something that is nearly instinctual for you.**

**Requirements: Be a Beastkin and 20 Str, Agi, Dex, Per, and Aff**

**Level: 2**

**Effects: Increases damage dealt with your limbs and natural weapons by 4%**

**Special Effects: When fighting in Nature this bonus is doubled**

**Transformations**

**None**

**Perks**

**Night Vision**

**Description: You have highly evolved eyes that allow you to see in almost all conditions.**

**Effects: You can see in the dark**

**Mountain Woman **

**Description: You are one with nature and nature thinks that's pretty cool.**

**Effect: +10 Perception and +20 Luck while in Nature**

**Affinity gains are easier while in Nature**

**Pain Tolerance**

**Description: You have dealt with pain to extreme levels, far beyond what is normal.**

**Effect: You can tolerate pain a bit easier. It does not distract you in battle.**

**Debuffs**

**Deathly Malnourished**

**Description: You've been starved for weeks and are barely alive now.**

**Effects: Physical Stats are reduced to 1 until this is cured **

**Special Perks**

**Animal Instinct**

**Description: As part of the Beastkin race you are in touch with your animal side. Your five senses exceed those of a human and your awareness is second to none. As a Puma, you are a stalking creature of the night, powerful and majestic.**

**Effects: Grants Skill [Animal Awareness]**

**Grants Perk [Night Vision]**

"I can't believe I haven't fed you!" Bulma yelled before reaching inter her fanny pack and looking for a certain capsule.

"I barely even notice it at this point."

"That just makes it worse." Bulma then brought out a capsule and held it up in triumph. "These are my emergency snacks… like actual emergencies." she then opened the capsule which revealed several plastic squares. The teen picked up one of the bigger ones and showed it to Akane. "This one is 3,600 calories, but you're supposed to spread it out over a couple of days." She then picked up a much smaller package. "This is 400 calories in two pieces. It's a lot smaller and if you're hungry in half an hour you can have more. Oh and water of course!"

After getting fed and watered Akane and Bulma went over the redhead's skills and perks.

"So… you're great at being sneaky. Oh, and you and Goku have the same perk!"

Akane nodded. "This makes sense. I've lived in the wilderness for years and this is a mountainous region. I've survived on my own and hunting things like dinosaurs require stealth and fast takedowns."

"I like it. Goku is a strong frontman, I have guns and magic at a range, and you can be a ninja! But first, you have to be healthy. I think we're going to spend the night here so go ahead and try to sleep."

As the young genius left Oolong's bedroom Akane could not stop herself from whispering, "Thank you."

~GG~

**AN: I missed writing for a little while there. Nioh 2 came out and then the Borderlands 3 DLC 2 came out while I'm not finished with either, the quarantine has made it so that my siblings have a lot more time to play videogames and since the consoles are restricted to a single TV only one person can play at a time.**

**Speaking of: be safe. Wash your hands, don't touch your face, avoid public gathering, stay six feet away from people at all times, etc. You have all heard it a bunch of times, but this is serious and when people don't treat it seriously things get worse.**

**That aside tell me what you thought. This Akane is very different from the previous version. From the moment I wrote it I disliked the extremely vulnerable, shy, and worshipful of Goku personality I had given her. I felt like a shitty hentai writer and just… ugh. I had intended from Original Akane to eventually move past that and have a real personality, but they would have taken a long time and parts of that vulnerability would, realistically, linger forever. Not to mention how at odds it was with her physical representation.**

**This Akane, as I hope to have conveyed, is a fierce, wild woman. Think Tarzan but at ten instead of as a baby and being raised by herself or nature if you wanna be poetic. I'll go into more detail eventually I'm sure, but that's all I'll say for now.**

**EDIT: I'm so sorry! I finished this chapter almost a month ago and thought I had uploaded it! So I went to check out reviews and work on chapter seven to find no chapter! Expect chapter seven to come relatively quickly as an apology.**

**Please leave a thoughtful review.**

**Thx ;)**


	7. Update

**AN: I just wanna apologize again really quickly since I just straight up forgot to post chapter six for so long hence why this is coming out quicker. **

**Not a lot of questions from the last chapter, a couple of silly: "is this Bulma the Gamer?" to which I say yes. For all intents and purposes, she is the main character right now mainly because Goku is an idiot who does not think complex thoughts. If that irks you… too bad, but that will be changing. **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

~GG~

Chapter 7: Update

A red-haired woman, a blue-haired teen, and a brown-haired boy all walk out of a dungeon.

**Congratulations!**

**For fully clearing the dungeon [Oolong's Lair] the dungeon's reset timer will be shortened from 5 years to 1 year. Also, enemies will have higher drop rates and will be level matched to the highest level player that enters. **

**You have been granted various pieces of loot that you missed.**

"Oh! Will we be able to fight Oolong again?" Goku asked as a small bag appeared in front of Bulma.

"Maybe? That's really weird because Oolong was a real person right?" Bulma mostly asked herself.

"Yes." Akane answered.

The answer slightly startled Bulma as she had been mostly musing aloud. She gave Akane a questioning look and the tall woman continued.

"Oolong captured me about two weeks ago and you told me that the short one received his powers a week ago."

Bulma facepalmed. "That was a dumb question… but that makes it weirder, right? The dungeon will reset which I assume will bring back Oolong. So will that one be real?"

Akane shrugged and Goku had already left to run around and train, having gotten bored with the conversation after saying his part.

"We will find out in a year"

"Yeah, if we come back… but I wonder what I missed!"

Inside the bag were three hoi-poi capsules.

"Wow, these are really expensive!" Bulma exclaimed.

"What are they?"

"One is an RV, which even the cheapest costs about as much as a single person house capsule, and this one is a good model. Another is typical storage but it's really big so, once again, not cheap. And the crown jewel is this high-end four-person house. Really useful now that there are three of us."

By the time the two girls had finished their conversation they had made it down the steps leading to Oolong's Lair. "You're in no shape to run." Bulma said before pulling out her motorcycle capsule and opening it. "Unfortunately, this road is too small for the RV, so hop on behind me. It'll be a tight fit, but we'll get to the town quicker and that means you'll have real clothes sooner."

"Sounds good."

It was a tight fit. Akane's head pressed uncomfortably into the motorcycle's windshield/roof, but it was way better than walking the entire way.

Upon reaching the town the trio found it far more lively than when Goku and Bulma had originally arrived. Doors and windows were open, chatter and laughter could be heard drifting from houses and yards, it was nice. When a villager saw them a ripple went through the town as people gathered to thank them and celebrate.

Bulma was kind of used to the mass attention and accepted it graciously. Goku was having a great time meeting all of the villagers and making new friends. Akane stood out, both physically and emotionally. She had not been in a crowd of people for nearly a decade and the attention she received by being a part of the group made her horribly uncomfortable. It was made worse by the fact that she was not strong enough to push her way through the crowd; Akane was trapped.

Eventually, Bulma and a few villagers noticed the redhead's struggle, and the large crowd began to disperse. All that was left was Goku, Bulma, Akane, and the old woman who promised them a Dragon Ball.

"You kids-" the old woman got choked up. "You've done a wonderful thing. Thank you. You've heard that a million times by now, but words cannot describe how happy I am to see these people living life. Hear's the ball you asked for… if there is anything you need, anything at all, let us know. We are forever in your debt."

"I-" Bulma started, touched once again by the sincerity of this country folk, but she was interrupted.

"No problem Granny!" Goku said exuberantly clearly energized by the crowd of people.

"...what he said. As far as what you can do for us goes, our new friend here desperately needs some custom clothes. Mine are a bit too small for her."

The old woman cast an appraising eye over Akane and chuckled at how short the dress Bulma had given the amazon to wear was.

"Not a problem missy. I just need to take some measurements. I could have something for her by tomorrow."

"You'll be the one doing it?"

"Of course!" the old woman laughed. "We don't have stores out here so almost everything we wear is handmade. I've been a seamstress for decades."

"Wow…" the genius could barely fathom a life without shopping malls.

"Thank you." Akane finally said her first words since arriving. "Can you start now?"

"Of course dearie, come along."

As the two departed for the old woman's house Bulma looked at Goku. "Uhh… I guess we'll hang out for the day?" she offered.

"Training time!" Goku yelled before running off into the woods.

Bulma shook her head. 'He has way too much energy… but he's right! I'm nearly at 150 Intelligence, a few levels in **Manabolt** and I'll have enough for **Mana Bomb**!'

With a plan of action in mind, Bulma set off into the woods as well… in the opposite direction of Goku.

~GG~

While Goku did pushups with his tail to try and level his newest skill Bulma tried to exhaust her mana supply. The skills did not show an experience bar, but she felt that she was close to leveling up her spell. Firing a **manabolt** every second, it took her an entire minute and twenty-seven seconds to actually exhaust her pool. When she finally did she fell on her butt as a weird wave of exhaustion swept through her body. A screen appeared to answer her question before she could even ask it.

**Due to emptying your mana pool, you have contracted the [Mana Exhaustion] debuff.**

**-90% MP regeneration**

**-80% Str, Agi, and Dex**

**And you've got a headache!**

**This debuff will be removed once the player has filled half of their mana pool.**

Bulma moaned in pain at the sudden, painful headache. 'I better take a nap or some-'

**Congratulations!**

**Thanks to your tireless practice you have gained a level in [Manabolt]**

**Manabolt**

**Description: A simple spell that teaches people the basics of magic. Very weak.**

**Requirements: 20 Int**

**Level: 3**

**Type: Projectile**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: 10 MP**

**Range: 13 ft (3.9 m)**

**Damage: 20**

**Effects: N/A**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis**

"So close!" Bulma whined. She only needed three more points in Intelligence to be able to learn **Mana Bomb**! "I'll figure it out… in a… minute…" the genius mumbled as she drifted off.

As Bulma slept off her mana exhaustion Akane was getting fed by the old woman. She did not have a relative to take care of from Oolong's Lair so the redhead had to bear the brunt of her grandmotherly instincts. Not that Akane minded, of course, she was ravenously hungry.

Goku meanwhile was growing bored with training his tail. He knew training was important, he did it every day of his life after all, but it had never been as monotonous as doing pushups with his tail over and over. So, when he finally gained a level in the skill Goku stopped and switched to practicing with his staff… and maybe coming up with a new move!

**For taking a nap on the ground your HP, MP, and KP have been restored by 10%**

An hour later Bulma woke up with a full mana pool and inspiration. She had dreamed while she slept on the ground, "Eww," and while the dream had been less of a dream and more of a nightmare about losing to Oolong she was reminded of something the demon had done while in owl form… casting multiple **manabolt**s at the same time.

"If he can do it, so can I." Bulma declared.

To start, the teen cast manabolt, but while she did she concentrated on the flow of mana within her. This was something she had learned when she first read the **manabolt** skill book and was arguably something she already knew, but the act proved valuable. She noticed that the rush of mana to her hands was more refined than it had been when she first learned the spell. It was less turbulent but nowhere close to being smooth.

'I'm not spending more mana, so is it… denser? More compact? More controlled?' she wondered.

Casting the spell again Bulma looked at the attack itself.

'It's a brighter and deeper blue than before… interesting. I know how it's different from before. Now to try and do two at the same time.'

Bulma pointed both of her hands away from her, closed her eyes, and tried to cast two **manabolt**s at the same time. It failed horribly, not only did she not cast two **manabolt**s, she did not even cast one! She saw the mana move within her, the same on both sides of her body leading out to her hands, but when the mana arrived at her palms it fizzled out. It even cost her two spell casts despite doing nothing!

'What the hell?'

Not one to be deterred by a single failure Bulma continued experimenting. She was too invested to notice herself running out of mana and was once again inflicted with mana exhaustion without having gained a single thing.

The genius laid back on the dirt in defeat. "Why?" she asked the world.

**You lack the stats necessary to learn the skill you are trying to create**

Bulma scrunched her face up in exasperation and yelled, "You couldn't have told me that ten minutes ago? Dammit!"

Not tired this time despite her debuff and wanting to do _something_ Bulma sat up.

'If multi-cast is out then what can I do…'

Inspiration struck her quickly.

"Easy skills! What can I learn easily?"

The first skill that came to mind was thanks to her situation. There she was: sitting in a serene forest practicing mystical arts trying and to understand their inner workings.

"Meditation."

While Akane napped after her big meal and Goku started doing tricks with his pole Bulma got comfortable and started breathing steadily. She stared inward at the mana that permeated her entire being and allowed herself to be entranced by it. Mana was a beautiful shade of pale blue and swirled nebulously inside her body seemingly without direction. The teen sought a literal pool from which her mana sprung and found none, realizing then that _she_ was the mana pool. It was an odd fact, but one Bulma found fascinating nonetheless. As she returned to observing the random swirls and eddies in her mana the blue-haired girl fell into a harmonious state.

Hunger pains brought Bulma out of her meditation and face to face with several screens.

**Due to a special act, you have created a skill!**

**Meditation**

**Description: A mentally clear and emotionally calm state you enter when concentrating on a single thing and devoting your entire being to that act. It is an important part of learning about one's self and the world around them.**

**Requirements: 20 Mnt**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Boosts the user's MP and KP regeneration by 10%**

**Requires a serene environment and can be easily disrupted**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+4 Mnt**

**Through continuous use and practice, you have gained a level in [Meditation]**

**Meditation**

**Description: A mentally clear and emotionally calm state you enter when concentrating on a single thing and devoting your entire being to that act. It is an important part of learning about one's self and the world around them.**

**Requirements: 20 Mnt**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Boosts the user's MP and KP regeneration by 20%**

**Requires a serene environment and can be easily disrupted**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+4 Mnt**

**By meditating and being a part of nature you have gained + 2 Affinity**

**By observing the nature of the mana within you gain a clearer understanding of its workings you have gained a level in [Raw Magic Mastery]**

**Raw Magic Mastery**

**Description: Raw Magic, or non-elemental magic, is the purest form of magical manipulation. Mastery of this type of magic opens the way for many spells.**

**Requirements: Gain a level on a raw magic spell on your own**

**Level: 2**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by raw magic spells by 4%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+3 Int and +2 Wis and Mnt**

**Congratulations! You have reached Level 3!**

**When you level up you are given a choice. Your actions, stats, race, and even the company you keep directly influence said choice. What is the choice? A new skill of course!**

"YES!" Bulma screamed into the empty forest before dismissing the screens in front of her. She not only had enough Intelligence to learn **Mana Bomb **but she had leveled up. Unfortunately, her excitement was tempered by her gurgling stomach. "…but first lunch."

After a quick ham sandwich, Bulma summoned her level-up screen.

**Congratulations! You have reached Level 3!**

**When you level up you are given a choice. Your actions, stats, race, and even the company you keep directly influence said choice. What is the choice? A new skill of course!**

**Mana Infusion**

**Description: The act of transferring your mana into someone or something else. Useful for charging magical items and giving allies a boost.**

**Requirements: 100 Int, 5 Spell Levels**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Touch**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Transfers mana with 10% effectiveness**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Mana Shield**

**Description: A flat, circular shield made of raw magic. It can be held like a traditional shield or levitated at the user's will though that will take more concentration.**

**Requirements: 20 Int, Wis, and Mnt, Raw Magic Mastery**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Shield**

**Activation Time: 1 second**

**Cost: Maximum of 100 MP**

**Size: 1 meter**

**Damage: N/A**

**Effects: Stops damage equal to the mana spent**

**Higher levels increase the size and maximum mana cost**

**Levels in [Raw Magic Mastery] will allow the user to manipulate the shape of the shield**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**Devourer of Knowledge**

**Description: You absorb knowledge like a sponge absorbs water. Your appetite for learning is insatiable and through that, you can grow.**

**Effect: It is now easier to learn and create skills **

**(this does not affect the requirements themselves)**

"A skill, a spell, and a perk." Bulma noted before smiling. The choice was obvious and the teen had to hold back a cackle of glee as she gained a new perk. "A perk that works like my racial bonus and two magic abilities that I can figure out on my own! Today is awesome."

~GG~

As Bulma was overwhelmed with euphoria over her sick gains, Goku's training was paying off exactly as he had hoped: a new skill! Or rather, a martial art.

**Through experimentation and practice, you have created a new martial art!**

**Piercing Rain**

**Description: Unleash a flurry of blows using a staff or polearm targeting an enemy's weak points at speeds too fast for them to react to!**

**Requirements: 50 Agi and Dex, 20 Str, Staff or Polearm Mastery**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: N/A**

**Cost: N/A**

**Range: Weapon's Reach**

**Damage: Weapon's Damage + 10**

**Effects: This skill cannot be canceled until all 5 blows land**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Str, Agi, and Dex**

"That's good!" Goku cheered.

While the damage was not high and the whole thing about not being able to be canceled seemed odd to him the preteen was happy to have something related to his staff besides the mastery. Plus, the skill's reach was the weapon's and that meant, thanks to his Power Pole, he could attack people from super far away easier!

Then another window appeared.

**For creating a skill related to staves you have gained a level in Staff Mastery!**

**Staff Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of staff type weapons.**

**Requirements: N/A**

**Level: 5**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by staff type weapons by 10%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Str, Agi, and Dex**

Less enthused by the mastery level Goku immediately started using his newest martial art to decimate the forest around him. Oddly enough, this netted him a perk.

**Lumberjack**

**Description: The trees fear you**

**Effect: It is easier to cut down trees**

Not that Goku gave the perk a second glance, he was having too much fun with his new skill.

~GG~

Akane spent the afternoon being pampered by an old granny, something that had not happened in over a decade.

~GG~

Bulma continued to make significant gains starting with Mana Bomb… after spending an hour reading through the booklet.

**Mana Bomb**

**Description: The user coalesces a massive amount of mana in a purposefully uncontrolled state to use as an attack. Mana Bomb is extremely destructive and has a large fallout radius. As such users are suggested to stay as far away from their attack as possible.**

**Requirements: Int 150**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Bomb**

**Activation Time: 20 seconds**

**Cost: 500 mana**

**Range: 65 ft (20 m)**

**Damage: 1,000 magical**

**Effects: Has an effective range of damage of ten feet. Damage is reduced by 10% per foot outside of the effective range.**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+6 Int and +4 Wis**

"That… that seems like way too much damage… wouldn't that kill that old guy who gave us the three-star ball? Wasn't he super strong?"

**I'm glad you noticed!**

**The game will undergo a quick update that will change a few things in order to address some balance concerns.**

**You will experience nothingness for a few seconds. We promise it won't scar you.**

"Wait like actual nothing-"

Then the world went dark and Bulma knew _nothingness_.

**HP and MP are being increased from 5 points per point in Vitality/Intelligence to 10 points per point in Vitality/Intelligence**

**HP and MP Regen awarded per point of Vitality/Wisdom is being reduced from 0.05 points per second to 0.01 points per second**

**KP is being doubled (Vitality+Wisdom+Mental Fortitude)*2) and KP Regen is unaffected**

**Meal Bonuses have been added**

**Being redundant, Activation Time, Cost and Damage have been removed from Skill descriptions**

Just as quickly as it started it ended and Bulma, Goku, and Akane were returned to reality. Akane had been napping and was unaffected and Goku could not care less about the nothingness, it was kind of boring to him. Bulma, on the other hand, was hyperventilating as she tried to come to grips with what had just happened to her. Before she could give it too much thought a window appeared.

**Look at your new stats**

Grateful to do something other than losing her mind Bulma latched onto the direction and opened her stats page.

**Name: Bulma Brief**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 3**

**HP: 310/310 (+0.31/s)**

**MP: 1,560/1,560 (+0.42/s)**

**KP: 242/242 (+0.242/s)**

**Stats - 415**

**Str: 20**

**Vit: 31**

**Agi: 19**

**Dex: 31**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 156**

**Wis: 42**

**Mnt: 48**

**Fth: 4**

**Aff: 2**

**Luk: 14**

**Chr: 28**

'That's… hmm… full health regeneration will take sixteen and two-thirds minutes and mana is… fucked at over an hour wait time to fully regen. Sure, I don't need all of my mana to do stuff, but if I ever have mana exhaustion again…' Bulma shivered at the thought. 'These numbers are so small. Can I change them to minutes?'

Bulma's screen flickered in response to her thoughts and changed.

**HP: 310/310 (+18.6/m)**

**MP: 1,560/1,560 (+25.2/m)**

**KP: 242/242 (+14.52/m)**

'That's a bit more useful… I should get back to training. I certainly have the mana pool for it now, but what to start with?"

Mana shield seemed like the more simple spell to learn on her own so Bulma started with it. Her meditation was paying dividends because she did not have much trouble moving her mana outside of her body without using an attack. The issue came in shaping the mana into a shield-like shape. Working with mana outside of her body was like playing with water and if she ever lost concentration the mana just flew away from her and into the world. It was a long, frustrating hour before Bulma actually made a shield on her arm and then she realized: it was not solid!

"Gah!" the teen screamed in frustration. All she had succeeded in doing was making a shape out of mana. Pushing her hand through it Bulma felt almost nothing, it was like trying to feel one of the denser gasses. Something was there, but only barely.

"Screw it! I'm hungry and it's getting cold."

~GG~

Akane, Bulma, and Goku all reconvened at the old woman's house and enjoyed a massive dinner. Goku ate with his regular gusto despite having hunted and eaten various wildlife multiple times throughout the day. Bulma was a bit concerned that Akane was so ravenously devouring the dinner after being starved for so long, but she chalked it up to a difference in biology. An onlooker would have assumed that Goku and Akane were in an eating competition given how that packed away food at such an extreme rate, but they were too absorbed in the act to notice each other. As such Bulma and the old woman made light conversation while trying to ignore the ghastly manners of their tablemates, at least Bulma was.

"Oh, it's just like having my sons back home." The old woman sighed.

"Have they been gone for a long time?"

"Oh yes, they moved out some forty years ago. Went to live in East City they did. I've got grandkids too, wanna see 'em?"

"Oh, sure."

And thus Bulma was trapped in the age-old past time of old ladies showing strangers pictures of their family. As the night winded down and the two black holes were finally stuffed the old woman offered the trio her home for the night.

**For eating a hearty meal your party has temporarily gained 17 Vitality and Health Regeneration has been increased by 170%. This effect will last for 5 hours.**

The alert distracted Bulma before she could answer the kindly old woman. 'Oh yeah, those meal bonuses… that's really high. I better get a cooking skill.' "Thank you but I'd rather not impose especially since you only have two free beds. I have a couple of capsule houses and I can put one in the backyard."

"If you say so, dearie. Sleep tight."

"I will thank you. Good night ma'am. Good night Goku, Akane!" the teen yelled to the other two who had slovenly waddled to the proffered beds without a second thought.

After a restful night, the group left town to more celebration by the townsfolk and several gifts of food, what little they could spare. It was time to find the other Dragon Balls!

~GG~

"So… what are we doing?" Akane asked as she munched on some chips while the trio sped over a river on Bulma's capsule boat.

"Going to the next Dragon Ball?" Bulma answered.

"Obviously. I mean how do you know where to go?" The redhead asked as Goku dozed in the back seat.

"Oh!" Bulma took out the Dragon Rader and showed it to Akane. "I use this little guy I made. The Dragon Balls give off a faint and unique electromagnetic pulse which I use to get a read on them. It's not perfect, but it gets me pretty close and always shows me a way to go. This river goes pretty much exactly where we want to go." 

"Huh… so you're like… a genius or something?" Akane asked intrigued by the handheld device.

Bulma blushed at the question. "Hell yeah, I am. I've already got a master's in electrical engineering and computer science from West City University. Cute to boot too."

Akane rolled her eyes. "I'm so happy for you."

Bulma laughed. "Thank you! But hey, the clothes the old lady gave you seem to fit you well."

The beastkin looked down at her simple tank top and shorts. "Yeah, they do, now I don't have to worry about people wondering whether or not I'm a hooker."

"What? That dress is amazing, you were just too big!"

"It doesn't matter how nice the dress was."

"Whatever." Silence reigned for a moment as neither girl could think of a good topic for conversation.

Akane broke the silence by saying, "I'm surprised you didn't mention this last night, but you leveled up."

"Yes! I did. This last night I was so hungry and this morning there was so much commotion that I sort of forgot.

Then Bulma said, "By the way, I don't know how much better you feel, but there are some easy skills you should pick up. I got a level thanks to one of them!"

"I saw that. What are they?"

"Meditation is the one you should try and do now. I'll wake up Goku and see if he can do it… but I don't think he'll have the patience. The other is swimming, yeah I know, but it seems like basic things also count as skills. I'm pretty sure if I put real effort into making a meal I'll get a cooking skill!"

"Cool. I'll try the meditation thing. Wake me up when we get… wherever we're going."

"No problem. Hey Goku!"

~GG~

Goku did not learn meditation, but Akane did and she also got a level in it putting the skill at level two just like Bulma. Goku could not maintain the concentration necessary, but the genius teen hoped that with the right motivation he might be able to do it. And to do that… she would probably need a really high cooking skill level. Nonetheless, their boat ride came to an end at a small lake at the edge of a desert.

"Ugh! Bulma! It's so hoooooot! And I'm hungry!" Goku's complaints were punctuated by an unnaturally loud growl."

"We ate sandwiches on the ride here! I swear your appetite must be because you're an alien. I mean, how do you even get the starving debuff by skipping a single meal?"

"I don't know, but there aren't any animals nearby that I can hunt."

**You have contracted the [Starving] Debuff**

**-1% HP every minute**

**The effect is doubled every hour**

**-50% Strength**

Bulma grimaced at the notification. "Dammit. Take these rations. They don't taste great, suck it up. I can cook something up in my capsule house. Are you hungry Akane?"

"I could eat."

"Great." The loud poof of her house appearing punctuated Bulma's reply. "Also… there's AC inside, Goku."

"What is AC?" Goku mumbled through a mouth full of extremely dry rations.

Bulma sighed but Akane replied instead. "It means that it's nice and cold inside kid."

The monkey boy just grunted and followed Bulma inside.

"Not coming?" The teen genius asked.

"Nah, I'm going to try and get that swimming skill. It's actually easier if it's just me."

"Oh okay, I'll call you when food's ready." was Bulma's response before shutting the door.

Akane quickly disrobed and entered the nearby lake and simply floated as she enjoyed the refreshing water. Soon after she started swimming and it took very little time to get the swimming skill, or rather, mastery, but then her quiet relaxation was interrupted by the roar of a distant jet squirrel.

"Who the hell lives all the way out here?" the redhead asked herself incredulously while her eyes locked onto a black dot slowly closing coming closer.

Not confident in defending herself if need be with her **Deathly Malnourished** debuff Akane was started to exit the water in order to get Bulma and Goku from inside the capsule house, but all of a sudden the vehicle pulled a hard U-turn and even seemed to speed up.

"…What?"

~GG~

"Yamcha! We've talked about this! You can't run away from every girl you see!" A small cat, that in no way looked like a cat, yelled in a high pitched voice to the jet squirrel driver it was flying next to.

"I know, I know, but…. I just can't! Not yet anyway. I'm sorry Puar." Yamcha replied while batting his long locks of hair out of his eyes.

"What the hell does that say about me then? I'm a girl Yamcha!" Puar complained.

Yamcha rolled his eyes at the old argument. "You're not human, it doesn't count."

"Oh, but I transform into a human, and all of a sudden it's a different story?"

The teen blushed as he remembered the various human forms Puar would use. "Yes? I don't know. It just is, besides, you're helping me with my problem… it's uhh… medical?"

"Mhm, and I'm an archdemon. That imaginary mental divide is the reason you haven't gotten any better. I am the same person no matter how I look."

The duo could finally stop shouting their conversation as they came to a stop at their hideout. Carved out of the unique and natural rock formations found throughout Diablo Desert it was a very simple one-bedroom lair, though it's height made it extremely advantageous in scoping out the meager prey within the desert. It was also a great defensive measure as one would have to be athletic enough to enter through what would normally be the second floor in most houses.

"…I know."

"I mean, Yamcha, we just ran away from a huge mark. That capsule house is top of the line! Who knows what else they have with them?"

Yamcha let out a loud sigh. "You're right. So how do we get their stuff?"

"Easy. My human transformations are great! Give me some shitty rags, maybe we could splatter them with animal blood, and I go over there like a lost maiden desperate for help." Puar pretended to faint before continuing, "and you can sneak in and swipe them of everything they've got! And if things go south… well, what're a few more bodies in _this_ desert?"

Yamcha rubbed his chin and nodded. "That sounds good… great actually."

"Of course it is. Now, in order to prepare, I'm going to spend the rest of the day as a human."

Yamcha freaked out and started waving his hands all over the place. "What? The rest of the day? But we only ever go for a few minutes. I'll die! Besides we can try the plan tonight!"

"Too bad Yamcha! This needs to stop. The next time some rich chick comes around robbing them cannot be an insurmountable obstacle for you. You've basically been cutting down our targets by half for years now… even if women don't normally travel through here the point still stands. And we'll try tomorrow because it'll probably be suspicious if we go back too soon."

Without further aplomb, a poof could be heard as Puar was covered by a cloud of smoke. Less than a second later a human woman stood in her place whom Yamcha was doing his best to not look at.

~GG~

An hour later Akane, Goku, and Bulma were eating the dinner Bulma had prepared. It was the first time she had put real effort into making something for more than just herself and just as she had hoped she got a skill for it.

**Cooking Mastery**

**Description: To cook is to sustain life itself. It is the first step taken beyond simple sustenance to enjoyment. A good meal can soothe a stormy soul and heal a broken one.**

**Requirements: NA**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Food made will have 10% increased effectiveness**

**Meal Effects will last for ten minutes longer than normal**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Dex and Wis**

'Yes! But wow whoever wrote this really likes cooking…' Bulma thought when she gained the skill while plating the food.

Akane was the first to speak once Goku quieted down ravenously inhaling the food. "The food is great Bulma, but I saw something while I was outside. Someone was approaching us from out in the desert, but they suddenly turned around. I assume it's because they saw me. If that doesn't scream bad intentions, I don't know what does."

Bulma blinked in surprise at the elevation. "I'm can't believe someone is out there, you think they live here? Sorry, that doesn't matter. Hmm. You didn't get a quest did you?"

"Quest?"

"Like for the Dragon Balls? It's a system mandated task that we get rewards for. They come up in a prompt as everything else does."

"Oh, I didn't get a pop-up."

"Huuuu… it might not be important? But what would we do anyway? There isn't exactly a place for us to hide out here."

"I could stand watch. Whenever I couldn't find a good place to sleep I'd have to break night. One midnight attack while I was asleep was all it took for me to never take that risk again, in fact, the best time to hunt some of the bigger dinosaurs is when they're asleep."

"Point taken. There's no way you can do that with your debuff working against you. I guess-" Bulma sighed. "I guess I can stay up. If it becomes too much I'll wake Goku up."

Akane shrugged in acquiescence, the blue-haired girl was right, she constantly felt weak and tired. Keeping watch through the night would be impossible.

"I'll tell Goku once he comes back to Earth. I'll open Oolong's RV so you can get some sleep."

"Thanks, Bulma."

~GG~

**AN: This chapter's update is a perfect example of why I need to just whip out my phone and take notes down on my ideas throughout the day. I had about 4 or 6 more changes that I had wanted to make through the update, not just editing, that I randomly thought about, and totally blanked when I sat down to write. I'm so mad.**

**It's a small part of why this took so long to be updated. I expected to do it quickly, but this infinite free time has me playing video games more than writing and I really don't know why. I hope to write some more, especially as my games get boring, but we'll see.**

**I'm aware that Toriyama jas always thought of Puar as a boy, but he never gives him a dick like he does Oolong. I've always thought of Puar as a female and that's what she is in my story as she has also been referred to as female in many other things. Funnily enough, Puar is called a girl on Funimation's Dragon Ball website which is hilarious.**

**I hope this is one of my better chapters as I spent a while going over it. While doing so I changed some things in the previous chapters like removing Tail Control's Damage and moving it to the effects which make sense as it's simply applying a change rather than being an attack.**

**This doesn't really affect you guys, but I set up a spreadsheet to keep track of stats and stat gains in the chapters because I had been lazy and not adding all of the skills to a character's sheet and had a heart attack because I thought I had gimped Bulma 20 stat points. I had not but this is a thing now... so yeah. I also discovered that while Bulma has earned 200 stat points Goku has earned 89. Hopefully, that will change soonish.**

**Mathematicians should be able to calculate the old lady's cooking skill level. I'll say it next chapter, but it's just kind of funny to me.**

**Again I apologize for the long wait. If I ever get around to setting up that (P)atreon one of the things I plan on doing is weekly releases at the minimum with higher goals for more releases. Far and away writing is my most fulfilling hobby and I want to do it more.**

**Anyway, tell me what you thought, I always appreciate and respond to reviews and for goodness' sake make an account if you're going to leave a review. The AN will not be a place for discussions, the DMs are.**

**Thx ;)**

**Oh and these are everyone's new stats and Akane's don't have Deathly Malnourished applied.**

**Name: Goku Son**

**Race: ?**

**Lvl: 3 **

**HP: 980/980 (+0.98/s)**

**MP: 20/20 (+0.03/s) **

**KP: 204/204 (+0.204/s)**

**Stats - 432**

**Str: 104**

**Vit: 98**

**Agi: 85**

**Dex: 59**

**Per: 36**

**Int: 2**

**Wis: 3**

**Mnt: 1**

**Fth: 1**

**Aff: 27**

**Luk: 12**

**Chr: 4 **

**Name: Bulma Brief**

**Race: Human**

**Level: 3**

**HP: 310/310 (+0.31/s)**

**MP: 1,560/1,560 (+0.44/s)**

**KP: 244/244 (+0.244/s)**

**Stats - 419**

**Str: 20**

**Vit: 31**

**Agi: 19**

**Dex: 33**

**Per: 20**

**Int: 156**

**Wis: 44**

**Mnt: 48**

**Fth: 4**

**Aff: 2**

**Luk: 14**

**Chr: 28**

**Name: Akane Otake**

**Race: Half-Beastkin (Puma) Half-Human**

**Lvl: 2**

**HP: 380/380 (+0.38/s)**

**MP: 230/230 (+0.12/s)**

**KP: 176/176 (+0.176/s)**

**Stats - 325**

**Str: 35**

**Vit: 38**

**Agi: 56**

**Dex: 51**

**Per: 38**

**Int: 23**

**Wis: 12**

**Mnt: 18**

**Fth: 0**

**Aff: 39**

**Luk: 0**

**Chr: 15**


	8. A Day in the Desert

**AN: Long wait this time eh? No excuses, just didn't feel like writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

~GG~

Chapter 8: A Day in the Desert

"Holy shit that old lady had a level 24 cooking skill!" Bulma randomly muttered to herself while she worked on breakfast.

The night had been entirely uneventful giving the teen time to simply ponder on her current situation. The "system" was truly odd and the possibilities seemed endless. On some level Bulma knew magic existed, after all, she was running around the world trying to find seven magical orbs in order to summon a dragon to grant her wishes, but actually using it, channeling her mana in order to create spells, was absolutely mind-bending.

That's not even considering the fact that she had been in real danger multiple times in the last week. Sure she had brought her guns to protect herself, but she never really expected to actually use them. And now she's hanging out with an alien, because that runt's totally an alien, and a unique half-human, half-beastkin woman.

The craziest part… was that Bulma loved it. She loved it! School and learning had always been a joke, she blasted past elementary, middle, high, and college getting two masteries in part because she was bored with the education system. She learned on her own terms and the game seemed to reward her for it constantly. A week ago Goku shrugged off her bullets like nothing, today a fight would not be so one-sided.

The genius sighed as she plated the scrambled eggs she had been cooking for everyone. "Cooking is boring as hell, maybe I can get Akane to do it."

The true beauty of the system was that combat was hardly the only way it could be taken advantage of. None of her Skills were actually combat-oriented and she had actually got a level in **Tinkering** last night! Though the stat increase was disappointingly low…

**Tinkering**

**Description: You just like messing with stuff. Figuring out how something works and learning how to pull it apart and put it back together fills you with joy.**

**Requirements: 50 Int**

**Level: 5**

**Type: Passive, Item Targeted**

**Range: Touch**

**Effects: Grants the user basic knowledge of all mechanical and electrical devices.**

**Higher levels increase the amount of knowledge the user can glean from a device.**

**+4 Int**

Bulma had gotten bored and busied herself by messing around with her junk capsule, a capsule full of electronic odds and ends that are leftover from other projects, and seeing if she could use anything in there to upgrade her weapons or make something new. Her pistol had been the obvious choice as it dealt less damage than her uzi and she would not miss it if she made a mess of it.

Alas, the teen's genius truly knew no bounds, and with a few wires, batteries, and good old fashioned elbow grease she had turned it into a railgun… sorta. It wasn't a true railgun, but the bullets would go faster and deal more damage which the new description confirmed.

**Bulma's Baby Railgun**

**Description: A tiny pistol that has been modified into a pseudo railgun. This peashooter can now deal some serious damage. Unfortunately, this augmentation has made the firearm quite… delicate.**

**Type: Handgun**

**Quality: Rare**

**Damage: 40 piercing + 10 lightning per bullet**

**Defense: N/A**

**Durability: 5/5**

**Enhancements: Might Explode**

The durability reduction and "enhancement" were quite unfortunate, but the damage increase made it more useful, especially since the system had doubled HP. With the success of her tinkering, Bulma considered working on the uzi as well but decided to hold off until she was back home in her lab. No use turning both of her firearms into surprise grenades.

"Goku! Akane! Food is ready!"

Akane woke up bleary-eyed from the long night. The RV had surprisingly soft beds inside and she fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. Bulma's call for breakfast was the only reason she was awake, otherwise, she would still be out.

'Damn laziness.' the redhead mentally groused as she stretched.

Akane, of course, knew it was not laziness on her part, but the more she distanced herself from her kidnapping the more she grew frustrated with herself. Years spent surviving on her own in the wilderness, facing dinosaurs and bandits with just her bare hands, just to be done in by a stupid fucking pig. And to top it all off she was saved by a magical city slicker and a little boy like some damn damsel in distress.

"Have to get healthy, have to train, need to use this system."

The redhead had not played video games growing up, but this system sounded like some of the RPGs she had heard of. Given how intuitive the system seemed to be she was not worried about being at a loss at how to progress. Do the thing, get the skill, practice/use the skill, level up the skill. Straightforward and simple, just how she liked it.

"Bulma?" Akane began as she, Goku, and the teen in question sat down for breakfast, "Are there any other skills you think we could all get easily?"

"Oh!" Goku perked up and stopped devouring food for a moment. "I 'ot a 'ew 'kill 'e 'oher 'ay."

"C'mon Goku don't talk with your mouth full." Bulma complained while Akane chuckled.

After a big gulp, Goku tried again. "I got a new skill when we were in the village. It's a martial art called… Piercing Rain. I can use it with the Power Pole."

"That's great Goku, keep thinking of stuff like that, but to your question Akane, yes, I spent some of last night thinking about easy skills-"

"Did you stay up all night?"

"Ye-" Bulma interrupted herself with a yawn. "Yeah. Goku sleeps like the dead and," Bulma leaned into Akane to whisper in her ear. "I don't trust Goku to recognize a real threat and warn us. He'll probably just fight it."

"Well, that doesn't seem too bad." Akane replied after Bulma leaned back.

"Eh, I'd be more comfortable knowing. Anyway, a skill you should get is **Observe**. It's literally about observation, you look at something and it tells you some information about it. It hasn't been all that important, but it's nice to know what loot you get."

"Loot?"

"Oh… yeah. There were a bunch of monsters in Oolong's mansion that we had to… kill in order to get to the prisoners. They drop stuff and **observe** let me know what they are. I think it's an inherent skill we get because I never learned it, the system just told me to use it"

"Huh… okay. Anything else?"

"Totally, you can learn to shoot my guns which should give you two different things to learn and practice-"

"Nah."

"Err… okay. **Cooking**, if you want. Teaching Goku something might get you **Teaching**. I think you should concentrate on learning more martial arts. You're a stealthy girl so something related to that? Honestly, you could probably use some magic…"

"Magic seems interesting, though I don't wanna be some sort of backline fighter."

"Awesome, I still have my skill books. You can learn **Manabolt** which will help you understand mana which would also give you **Raw Magic Mastery**. From there it's just experimentation. I meditated upon my mana pool and got a good feel for it. I've tried manipulating it, but I haven't gotten anywhere yet."

That had been a sore spot for the genius as it had been yet another thing she had tried to do the night before. She knew she was missing something to make the mana shield tangible, she just did not know what it was.

"That sounds like a great idea. Thank you, Bulma." Akane stood and brought the now empty dishes to the sink and started washing them. "I'll clean this and start practicing, you should get some sleep."

Bulma yawned in response before nodding. "Thanks." was all she said before heading to her bed.

Goku was already trying to leave the RV before Akane stopped him. "Hey, kid. How old are you?"

The kid in question stopped and started counting on his fingers. "Uhh…. thirteen!"

Akane blinked in surprise. "Aren't you a little short for your age?"

"No? I'm gonna go train…"

"I'm sorry, just don't go too far, we don't know where those people who were looking at us are."

"Okay!" and he was out the door before she could say anything else.

"What a weird kid." Akane said as she dried the dishes. "Time to… learn? I guess?"

~GG~

"Alright Yamcha, are you ready?"

The desert bandit nodded his head. After yesterday's intense exposure therapy he was starting to feel a little more confident about being around a real human woman. Sure he might have cried a few times and peed himself a little every time Puar came around a corner unexpectedly, but he never went into shock or ran away.

"Good. I'll start and you hit them in about half an hour."

"Sheesh I know, get to it already."

"Hey, no need to be snippy, and you're not even looking at me so I have to be sure."

Puar was already in her human form. It was one that reflected her age and, hopefully, how she would have looked if she was born human. An outside observer would describe her as an older teen, around 17 or 18, who was more on the petite side. She stood at a staggering 4'10" with long, wavy hair, the same teal color as her fur. Her figure was athletic and tight, so while she was not turning heads everywhere she went no one could call her too skinny. Her thin eyebrows rested above sharp, angled eyes that held purple irises. Between her eyes was a cute button nose and just below was her mouth which was on the small side. Her teeth were completely normal, no need to tip someone off to her non-human nature.

She wore, as planned, a tattered shawl over a dirty and torn up shirt and shorts combo. A little blood on her skin and the clothes made the disguise perfect… hopefully. Her clothes were also why Yamcha was not making eye contact, they left her a bit exposed.

Nonetheless, Puar's rebuke made the bandit turn his head and look into her eyes before nodding.

"Alright, see you soon."

And with that their plan had begun.

~GG~

Akane had just finished learning manabolt and was luxuriating in the awesome feeling of having mana and being able to use magic when she heard the desperate cry of a woman.

"Help. Help me. I… I need w-water. Please. Please help."

"What the-?"

A small distance from their camp Akane spied a woman limping towards her. Blood ran down the stranger's leg and she looked ready to fall over at any moment.

The redhead almost jumped up to help but, 'I'm not going to be much help, besides… it might be a trap.' She would not soon forget the lessons Oolong had taught her.

As quickly as she could Akane entered the RV and woke Bulma up. "Hey, there's someone outside. They look like they've been attacked and are asking for help."

"Huh? Wha-? Let's… let's help 'em."

Bulma was too tired to be thinking, she wanted to be asleep, but she got up anyway and followed Akane outside to greet the now much closer woman.

Bulma gasped. "Holy shit, you look horrible!" Seeing the sorry state of the stranger reminded the teen of Oolong's prisoners and her gut twisted.

Just then the stranger lost her balance and fell over. Bulma immediately rushed to her side. She then looked at Akane who had not rushed to help and was fidgeting with her clothes.

"Can you get some water for her and maybe start the bath? I'll get her inside the house."

"…okay, but… okay."

Bulma lightly tapped the shorter girl who she had helped stand up. "Stay with me. I know first aid and there's water inside. Who did this to you."

"B-bandit." Puar choked out. "He- he came out of nowhere. My boyfriend! He- he- he-" she interrupted herself with a cry of anguish and collapsed into Bulma who nearly fell over.

"Hey, uhh… calm down?" Bulma grunted as she pulled the hysterical woman into the RV and sat her down at the table. "You're safe here so don't worry about that bandit…"

"Buh- buh- buh- my Bwandon. He's dead!" Puar was such a blubbering mess that she could barely speak. 'I'm so fucking good.'

Bulma cringed as… 'Puar… level three! What?' Her discomfort around the crying woman fled as confusion took its place. 'How could someone so strong have been robbed unless… the bandit was even stronger.'

"Here have some water and try to breathe." Bulma offered the cup Akane had left for them on the table.

Puar grabbed the cup with shaky hands and carefully brought it up to her lips. She still spilled some for effect before gulping it down quickly. After taking a few deep breaths she calmed down and looked into her "savior's" eyes.

"Th-thank you. I thought I was going to die out in that desert."

Having said a full sentence finally, Bulma could now hear the posh upper society accent. 'I hope I'm not supposed to know this person.'

Neither her father nor herself cared for the "niceties" of upper-crust living, but they could hardly avoid it. You could not snub a famous politician or entrepreneur without there being some consequences. She could never forget her father's stories about when capsule corp and hoi-poi capsules first started getting big and he started getting invitations to galas and parties and charity events. He never cared to go and so he did not. Within a year of unintentionally making it clear that he was not going to play ball, he started getting unexpected pressure in the form of legislation. Hoi-poi capsules were nearly made illegal! Bulma shuddered at the thought.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"B-Brandon and I were headed to a resort on the other side of the desert when out of nowhere a jet squirrel started pulling up to us. We just thought it was an odd encounter, but when he got close enough that- that monster suddenly pulled out a gun and- and-" Puar stopped and closed her eyes as her fists clenched.

Bulma gave the woman some time to get herself together before saying, "I understand that this is hard for you, maybe just describe the bandit?"

After shedding some crocodile tears Puar nodded and continued. "He was short, around five feet, and had short hair. He wore white pants and a blue shirt and… I think he had a spear. That is all that I remember though."

"That's more than enough. Thank you." Just then Akane walked in. "Hey, you wanna take a bath?"

"Oh… oh that would be lovely thank you."

"Uhh… do you… do you need help?"

"No, I'm starting to feel better already. Thank you again."

"Alright, it's right through that door Akane… oh kami, I'm so sorry we haven't introduced ourselves. My name is Bulma, that's Akane and a little boy named Goku is also running around somewhere."

"He went out to train."

"My name is Puar."

"That's a uhh… pretty name."

"Thank you. I will be going now."

"Cool. Relax. Get clean and maybe we can talk some more later."

With that Puar left to shower and Akane finally sat down at the table with Bulma.

"So what's your deal?"

"Something seems off. Maybe I'm being too cautious, but she's level three, it seems odd that a random bandit could get her. Her story did sound genuine though…" The redhead narrowed her eyes in thought.

"I almost thought the same thing, but look at us. Goku shrugs off bullets like they're paper while I would probably get killed by them as easy as a level one. Maybe she has low vitality too? Besides, if the bandit killed her boyfriend while he was driving she would have crashed leading her to look how she does."

"I guess that makes sense. We should probably try to get more of the story out of her just to be safe."

"I wanted to do that anyway. What if that bandit is the same one you saw yesterday?"

"Yeah, she did mention a jet squirrel… well, I'm going to try and play with magic some more. Have fun with Puar."

"I don't know if consoling her would be considered fun…" the teen grimaced.

Before Akane could leave a screen appeared above that table.

**[Quest Alert]**

**The Desert Bandit!**

**Description: A woman has crawled to you seeking aid due to a brutal attack from a desert bandit. Was it the same person Akane saw out in the distance? Will you be the next target?**

**Objectives: Find out more about the woman and the bandit**

**Defeat the Bandit**

**Bonus Objectives: ?**

**Quest Completion Rewards: +2 to Int and Wis, ?, ?, ?**

**Bonus Rewards: ?, ?**

**Quest Failure: Death**

**Accept?**

**[Y/N]**

"Welp… that's not ominous at all."

"Uhh, are you going to accept it?" Akane asked/

"Why not?"

"Well, if we don't accept it maybe we won't confront the bandit and that failure is not pretty."

"Huh… I didn't think about it that way. But then, does saying no mean failing the quest? Goku and I got a quest the day after we met to help a turtle get back to the sea and failing meant that I would also fail the Dragon Balls quest. One of the rewards ended up being a Dragon Ball and if we had said no we probably would have had a tough time finding the ball."

"But would it have been impossible?"

"…I suppose not, but then again I don't want to take that gamble. What if the bandit comes after Puar?"

"That's a possibility. I guess we can accept it. At least we get something out of it."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Alright… I'm going. Anymore surprise boxes?" Akane asked the air.

When nothing else appeared the redhead finally left the capsule house leaving Bulma all alone.

All the while Puar had been trying her best to listen in on their conversation from the bath hoping to find out where they hid their valuables. A long shot yes, but people talk about all kinds of stuff! But what she could hear baffled her.

'The fuck they talking about a quest for?' the shapeshifter wondered. 'Are they some kind of roleplayers? What a bunch of losers.'

The demon wanted to leave it at that, but they had mentioned something concerning: they were somehow aware of her strength.

Puar was hardly an archdemon, she didn't run her own clan, she never received sacrifices or worship, and she had yet to receive any promising marriage proposals, but she was still stronger than some low-level demons. If she was honest with herself she would admit that she was on the weaker side when it came to demons, she could kick the ass of most lesser demons, but a particularly strong one could kill her. Her mother's scary stories about greater demons were still the cause of some nightmares.

'But how did they know? The blue-haired chick had a decent amount of mana, maybe she knows magic? But I would have definitely noticed if she had cast something…'

Puar ruminated on her situation and the plan while she enjoyed the bath.

~GG~

Goku did not like sand. It went everywhere and tasted nasty! It made it hard to practice because no matter how softly he threw a punch or swung his staff it would send some sand flying. Finally sick of the situation the twelve-year-old had a flash of inspiration. Ki!

Much like detecting the people in the village, he had never used it in an active manner, or really been aware of what it was! The adolescent was no deep thinker, but ki, at least how Bulma described it to him, was interesting.

During their conversations at night on the way to the village, Bulma had told him what she knew about Ki from the movies she had seen and the books that she had read. It was some kind of mystical energy that was within all living beings and some people could manipulate it to do amazing things.

"I might be able to do stuff like Bulma does with magic!" Goku yelled, suddenly excited. 'But how do I do it?' he wondered.

After several mind-bending minutes, he finally remembered his only ki skill. Without any other ideas, the boy concentrated on his passive skill. Due to the lack of any other living beings within his range, Goku immediately felt his own ki signature.

"Woah, weird."

He had never felt his own ki so clearly, living in the mountains surrounded by vibrant life it was often muddled by everything around him. Now that he had found it, he was going to use it. Taking the simple path, Goku concentrated on his ki and _pushed_.

The loud woosh that kicked up a bunch of sand around him nearly drowned out the ding.

**Now that's what I call an idiot savant. I'll be honest, I'm impressed. As a reward, you'll receive all of the stats and learn all of the skills that you would have if you didn't have any of your debuffs. You lucky dog.**

Goku coughed to clear his throat of sand while rubbing his nose and eyes before responding.

"Thanks?"

He dismissed the screen and immediately another appeared.

**Congratulations!**

**Through a special act, you have created a Ki Technique! A new category has been added.**

**Ki Pulse**

**Description: The user sends out a blast of Ki in a spherical area around their body. This is a very simple defensive technique.**

**Requirements: 50 Vit**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active, Self**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: 10 KP**

**Range: 3 ft (1 m)**

**Damage: None**

**Effects: Pushes everything around the user to the edge of the sphere's influence**

**Effectiveness is calculated by pitting a target's combined strength and vitality against the skill's KP cost. Targets with a combined strength and vitality higher than the cost of the skill will be pushed back one foot less per order of magnitude that their stats outweigh the cost. Example: At level one a target with a combined strength and vitality 30 or above will not be affected by the skill at all.**

**Special Effects: NA**

**+2 Vit and Mnt**

Goku stopped reading halfway through the first sentence in Effects.

"So that's why the sand went everywhere!" In a moment of brilliance, Goku decided that he would practice the skill on one of the rocks that towered above him. "No more sand!"

Once he had cleared a fifty-foot vertical leap to land on top of one of the rock columns Goku dismissed the screen that floated in front of him and was surprised to be greeted by yet another screen!

**Congratulations!**

**By creating your own Ki Technique you have earned a mastery!**

**Ki Mastery**

**Description: Measures the user's mastery of ki and ki techniques.**

**Requirements: Earn a level in a ki technique without being taught**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by staff type weapons by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Vit, Wis, and Mnt**

"That's cool."

A supplementary skill did not interest Goku nearly as much as his new technique. After dismissing the screen and waiting for another one that, thankfully, did not appear Goku started spamming his new ability!

Things went well until Goku used the technique the 21st time. All of a sudden the skill he had been using so easily sent searing hot pain all throughout his body.

"Graaaaghh!" The prepubescent boy screamed in agony.

When he opened his eyes Goku saw a screen floating in front of him.

**Warning! **

**The use of ki techniques once the user has been depleted of ki is extremely dangerous. The cost is taken from HP and is multiplied by ten.**

Goku sort of understood what he was being told and looked at his HP on the stats page only to find that he had lost twenty points.

"Okay. Pay attention to the Ki bar." he muttered through gritted teeth.

A look at the upper left-hand corner of his vision where his HP, MP, and KP bars were revealed that the yellow KP bar was empty and flashing red. After taking a breath Goku dismissed the screen only for another one to appear… again!

**Congratulations!**

**Through rigorous training to the point of self-harm, you have earned a level in Ki Pulse!**

**Ki Pulse**

**Description: The user sends out a blast of Ki in a spherical area around their body. This is a very simple defensive technique.**

**Requirements: 50 Vit**

**Level: 2**

**Type: Active, Self**

**Activation Time: Instant**

**Cost: 20 KP**

**Range: 4 ft (1.2 m)**

**Damage: None**

**Effects: Pushes everything around the user to the edge of the sphere's influence**

**Effectiveness is calculated by pitting a target's combined strength and vitality against the skill's KP cost. Targets with a combined strength and vitality higher than the cost of the skill will be pushed back one foot less per order of magnitude that their stats outweigh the cost. Example: At level one a target with a combined strength and vitality 30 or above will not be affected by the skill at all.**

**Special Effects: NA**

**+2 Str and +1 Wis and Mnt**

"What happened to-" Goku remembered what the system had told him in its first message. "Oh yeah… that sucks."

Having no ki and disliking how long it had taken to level up his new skill Goku decided to return to training his martial arts.

~GG~

While Bulma enjoyed small talk with Puar while trying to get a little more information out of her and Goku practiced out in the desert Akane attempted to use magic.

'I'm not like Bulma, I'm no spellcaster. If only I could do something like camouflage…"

Inspired by the idea Akane walked around the RV to the side with shade and tried to blend in.

"…nothing's happening." She complained aloud. 'But I'm not doing anything either.'

The redhead decided to meditate upon her mana and use it to cover herself and blend in with her surroundings. Nothing happened in the first ten minutes, so the half-beastkin decided to be more proactive and push her mana out through her skin to act as a second layer. Once again nothing happened until Akane felt a distinct shift in the mana she was covering herself with.

Ding!

**Camouflage**

**Description: The user manipulates mana to cover their skin and refract light around themselves allowing them to become partly transparent. The spell then tries to copy the area around the user to better blend in with their surroundings. This is a basic dark spell.**

**Requirements: Stealth Skill, 20 Int, 30 Aff**

**Level: 1**

**Type: Active**

**Activation Time: 5 seconds**

**Cost: 10 MP/s**

**Range: Self**

**Damage: None**

**Effects: User blends in with their surroundings helping to avoid detection**

**Sudden movements can disrupt the spell**

**Enemies with high Per will be able to see through the spell**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Dex, Int, and Aff**

Halfway through reading about her new spell Akane was struck by an immense exhaustion and the mana covering her skin dissipating. A quick glance at her mana bar showed it to be completely empty.

**Due to emptying your mana pool, you have contracted the [Mana Exhaustion] debuff.**

**-90% MP regeneration**

**-80% Str, Agi, and Dex**

**And you've got a headache!**

**This debuff will be removed once the player has filled half of their mana pool.**

"Ugh! Bulma told me about this!"

Berating herself for her stupidity Akane promised to be more careful with the spell in the future. She then dismissed the pop-up and finished reading about her skill.

'Hmm… it's a useful skill, but it's so expensive! I need more intelligence and wisdom…"

Akane dismissed the skill screen and was pleasantly surprised when another screen appeared.

**Dark Magic Mastery**

**Description: Dark Magic is a form of magic that converts mana into pure darkness both physically and metaphysically. Mastery of this type of magic opens the way for many spells.**

**Requirements: Gain a level on a dark magic spell on your own**

**Level: 1**

**Effects: Increases the damage dealt by dark magic spells by 2%**

**Special Effects: N/A**

**+2 Dex, Int, and Wis**

Akane could not help but smile, 'Yes!'

Yet another skill was exactly what she had been hoping for and hopefully she could come up with even more spells.

'But right now, I'm going to sleep.'

Her headache was not getting any better and she felt nearly as bad as she did when Goku and Bulma had first found her.

Unfortunately, only minutes after her head hit the pillow in the RV she was awoken by a loud scream.

~GG~

Goku heard the same exact scream and immediately pinpointed it to the capsule house nearby.

"Nimbus!" He yelled hoping to get there as quickly as possible.

Within a second his cloud appeared and Goku hopped on. As he sped toward the house he noticed someone approaching at the same time. He had no idea who it was and immediately assumed it was the cause for the scream and redirected. Luckily the stranger had not noticed Goku and was therefore completely unprepared when the preteen rocketed headfirst into his side.

**You have dealt 200 blunt damage**

Yamcha was sent flying off of the jet squirrel in blinding pain. All of a sudden the world was upside down and he was eating dirt. Before he could move he was attacked once again.

Goku took advantage of his opponent's vulnerable position of being stuck in the sand headfirst with his legs swinging in the air and used his new staff skill.

"Piercing Rain!"

Almost as if his body was possessed, Goku aimed the Power Pole toward Yamcha and repeatedly extended it in a series of intense blows that once again sent the desert bandit flying. He missed one of his blows and the other four hit his opponent's armor reducing the damage by a lot.

**You have dealt 576 blunt damage**

"What… is happening?" Yamcha groaned as he laid on his back staring at the harsh yellow sun.

His whole body felt like a bruise. His thoughts confused as nothing had prepared him for a surprise attack from an apparently powerful foe. But he knew he needed to get moving, he could die. Painfully the teen climbed onto his knees and faced his attacker.

"You-you're a kid!" He yelled accusingly.

Goku had approached slowly with his pole out in a defensive position. He would not be taken advantage of again.

"Yeah? And?" Goku then noticed the name floating above his opponent's head.

**Yamcha Lvl. 3**

The desert bandit had no words for the rage and confusion that whorled in his mind. "This was supposed to be an easy mark!" he complained, too tired to do anything else.

"Uhm… okay." Goku answered before slamming his Power Pole into Yamcha's head, knocking him unconscious.

**You have dealt 204 blunt damage**

**Your opponent is unconscious**

**Would you like to kill him?**

**[Y/N]**

"Hmm… I'll ask Bulma first." Goku decided. He almost felt bad for this… Yamcha guy, he had beaten him so easily.

The twelve-year-old grabbed Yamcha by the left leg and started dragging him toward the capsule house where he could feel two ki signatures.

~GG~

Meanwhile, in the capsule house, it had been Puar who had screamed upon hearing the sound of a jet squirrel.

"Oh shit, do you think it's him?" Bulma asked, but her guest had already curled up into a fetal position and did not respond.

Leaving her be, Bulma went to the capsule house's window in order to see if the jet squirrel was being ridden by the bandit Puar had described only to see Goku rocketing into someone that looked nothing like what she had expected!

"Huh… that's weird."

Before Bulma could turn around and tell the frightened woman that there was nothing to worry about she felt a swift kick connect with her head and she fell unconscious.

"Heh, stupid bitch."

~GG~

**AN: Hey, stuff's happening! I had a pretty great time writing this chapter. My family and I vacationed in FLorida, we're from Connecticut, and while we were there we visited some family. I have an older cousin who works at a museum and writes regularly for them and had to take several writing classes. She shared with me one of her strategies for consistently writing.**

**Basically, just write a little bit and put it down. Come back later, edit what you wrote, and then write some more. So no more sitting down and pumping out a chapter in 6 hours one night. My goal is to write around a thousand words everyday and possibly release chapters on a weekly basis. No promises of course, but again, it's a great way to write. I let myself consider what I'm writing a lot more and it's a lot easy to change things when a story has only a thousand words instead of a 5-7000 word full chapter.**

**Anyway… did ya miss me? I'm kidding.**

**This chapter also marks the transition of names. From now on this story will just be Goku the Gamer and the original version will be called the original version.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.**

**Thx ;)**


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